“On January 4th, REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais recorded a new maximum peak of hydro production in the national grid, reaching 6,531 MW at 5:30 pm", REN said in a statement.

The previous maximum had been recorded on March 21, 2018, the day on which peak hydro production reached 6387 MW at 19:30.

According to the person responsible for the global management of the electrical and natural gas systems, "this value was reached due to the heavy rainfall that occurred in that period and the increase in the flow of water courses, with a total production of 99 GWh [gigawatt-hours] having been recorded on January 4th, triple the same period in 2022".

On that day, hydropower was responsible for almost two-thirds of total consumption.

In 2022, the hydroelectric producibility index was 0.63, below the historical average of one, due to the drought, which led to a drop in annual hydroelectric production by 36%.

However, in December, the heavy rainfall that was felt increased the hydroelectric production index to 1.67.