Primary energy consumption in Spain in 2020 was mainly composed of fossil sources. The largest sources are

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

(42.3%),

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

(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 Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

(11.6%). The remaining 26.3% is accounted for by nuclear energy (12%) and different

renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...

sources (14.3%). Domestic production of primary energy includes nuclear (44.8%), solar, wind and geothermal (22.4%),

biomass Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...

and waste (21.1%),

hydropower Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...

(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 a 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 Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

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 (GME), which expired at midnight on 31 October 2021. From November 1 on, natural gas exports to Spain are primarily transported through the Medgaz pipeline (with the short-term possibility of covering further demand either by expanding the Medgaz or by shipping LNG). 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. Drought 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, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

450 Mt and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

429 Mt and above

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

295 Mt and

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

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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