Energias de Portugal’s (EDP) gross installed wind capacity in Europe reached 1,732MW in June 2007, an increase of 56% over the same period of 2006, reflecting that the company delivered its pipeline of wind farms on schedule. Wind power output rose to 1,403GWh and the company’s wind portfolio maintained a high load factor of 28% in the first half of 2007.
Output from EDP’s liberalized generation plants in the Iberian market rose by 3.6% in the first half of 2007 over the same period of 2006, supported by a high 79% load factor of the company’s coal plants in the period, growth of hydro production and lower load factors in the company’s combined cycle gas turbines.
Meanwhile, EDP said that, although warm temperatures over the first half of 2007 led to a slowdown of electricity and gas demand in the Portuguese and Spanish markets, the volume of electricity distributed by EDP in the two Iberian regions rose by 2.2% in H1 2007 over H1 2006, while the volume of gas distributed rose by 1% in the same period.
However, volumes sold to liberalized electricity retail clients in the Iberian market fell 5.7% in H1 2007 over H1 2006, reflecting strong competition from tariffs, but also a significant increase of EDP’s market share in the Iberian liberalized supply market.
The company said that the decline of sales volume in Portugal was almost fully compensated by higher sales volume in Spain, while the 67% increase in the number of clients was fully supported by the success of EDP’s electricity sales to residential clients in Portugal. Volume sold by EDP in the liberalized gas market in Spain rose 27% over the period.
