Zero electricity prices are back: eight hours of credit this Saturday | Companies

Saturday, zero electricity prices. According to data published this Friday by the Iberian Energy Market Operator (OMIE), electricity will be virtually free – excluding tolls, fees and system settings – for a third of the day, from 10:00 to 18:00. In the absence of a final price in each time slot, which will be published by the Red Eléctrica de España (REE) this Friday evening, just over eight million homes and companies adhering to the regulated market or PVPC have an additional incentive to put in the washing machine, dishwasher or oven in the next few hours. They will not only be more economical, but also more environmentally friendly: those who consume in this sector will also contribute to the maximum use of renewable energy sources.

Storm Carlotta and the usual drop in demand over the weekend will see electricity demand this Saturday reach its lowest level this year, with the average daily price just above nine euros per megawatt hour (MWh), compared with an average of 74 euros in January and 55 euros at the moment. in February. The reason for this sharp decline should be sought in two factors, both of which are climatological: wind (wind energy will generate almost 44% of the electricity produced) and water, which will contribute 20%, almost as much as nuclear energy, of the large volume of electricity produced. degree due to the growth of unregulated waterfalls thanks to the return of rains and more than predictable discharges. On the downside, solar will remain at just over 4% this Saturday, with a peak of 12% between 1 and 4 p.m.

90% zero emissions

The sum of all renewable energy sources will provide almost 70% of the electricity this Saturday. If we add to this the production of seven nuclear reactors, the level of emission-free generation is about 90%, with peaks during the central hours of the day: those during which electricity is also more economical. Under the OMIE program, combined cycle power plants that burn gas to produce electricity will not produce a single MWh. However, in practice, it makes sense that they end up appearing at specific time intervals to balance supply and demand. Meanwhile, coal is only expected to come into the equation in the early morning hours of Friday through Saturday: between twelve and three o’clock.

It will also be a day of great energy exports through the still weak Iberian Main: the net balance will be only importers, and to a very minimal extent, in the early morning: between three and six. The rest of the time, exports (also to Portugal, Morocco and Andorra, although to a much lesser extent) will dominate, especially to France, from where Spanish renewable electricity will flow to the entire continent.

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