Primary energy consumption in Spain in 2015 was mainly composed of fossil fuels. The largest sources are

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...

(42.3%),

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

(19.8%) and

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

(11.6%). The remaining 26.3% is accounted for by nuclear energy (12%) and different renewable energy sources (14.3%). Domestic production of primary energy includes nuclear (44,8%), solar, wind and geothermal (22,4%), biomass and waste (21,1%),

hydropower Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a w ...

(7,2%) and fossil (4,5%).

Energy statistics

Energy plan

By 2030 the government plan is to have 62 GW of wind power installed, 76 GW of photovoltaic power, 4.8 GW of solar thermal power, 1.4 GW of biomass power, and 22 GW of storage. This should give a 32% decrease in greenhouse gasses compared to 1990. The long term plan is to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050.

Energy Sources

Fossil fuels

Coal

In December 2021 Spain had capacity of 4.1 GW using coal as the energy source, in 2022 consumption was 6.5Mt, although the plan is to phase coal out by 2030.

Natural gas

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

is Spain's largest natural gas supplier. Amid the deterioration of relations with Morocco, Algeria decided not to renew the contract of the

Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline The Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline (MEG; also known as the Pere Duran Farell pipeline or Gazoduc Maghreb Europe GME) is a natural gas pipeline, which links the Hassi R'Mel gas field in Algeria through Morocco with Cordoba in Andalusia, Spain, w ...

(GME), which expired at midnight on 31 October 2021. From November 1 on, natural gas exports to Spain are primarily transported through the

Medgaz Medgaz is a submarine natural gas pipeline between Algeria and Spain. History The idea of building a direct gas pipeline between Algeria and Europe arose in the 1970s. However, the technical limitations at that time prevented the construction ...

pipeline (with the short-term possibility of covering further demand either by expanding the Medgaz or by shipping

LNG Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volu ...

). The demand for natural gas in Spain in 2022 was 364.3 TWh. Gas used for power generation increased 52% from 2021, with household, commercial and industrial demand for gas falling 21% to 226.4 TWh.

Renewable energy

Renewable energy includes wind, hydro and solar power, biomass and geothermal energy sources. Spain has long been a leader in renewable energy, and has recently become the first country in the world to have relied on wind as its top energy source for an entire year. The country is attempting to use wind power to supply 40 percent of its electricity consumption by 2020. At the same time, Spain is also developing other renewable sources of energy, particularly solar photovoltaic. Renewable based power in Spain reached 46.7% of total power consumption in 2021.

Solar power

In 2013, solar accounted for 3.1 percent of Spain's total electricity when capacity was 4,638 MW. By 2022 Spain had increased the solar capacity to 19,113 MW.

Wind power

In 2021, wind power provided 24% of Spain’s total installed power generation capacity and 23% of total power generation. In 2023 it will reach 30 GW of capacity.

Biomass

Biomass provides around 2% of electricity generation capacity.

Nuclear energy

Spain has seven operating nuclear reactors and in 2022 they generated 20.25% of the country’s electricity. The government’s energy and climate plan specifies that installed nuclear capacity will remain at current levels of about 7,100 MW until at least 2025, and will then reduce to just over 3,000 MW from 2030 onwards.

Hydro energy

In Spain in 2021 hydro power provided 17% of Spain’s total installed power generation capacity and 11% of total power generation. Draught impacts electricity production from hydro in the summer months.

Global warming

According to Energy Information Administration the emissions from energy consumption of Spain were in 2009 360 Mt, below

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

450 Mt and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

429 Mt and above

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

295 Mt and

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

250 Mt. The emissions tonnes per capita were in Spain 7.13, Italy 7.01 France 6.3 Poland 7.43, and the Netherlands 14.89.world carbon dioxide emissions country data co2
Guardian 31 January 2011

References

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