Electricity Consumption Increased by One Per Cent Last Year, While Production Decreased by Six Per Cent

Estonian domestic power consumption increased in total by one per cent reaching 8.1 terawatt-hours. Somewhat colder fall and winter periods caused the increase in power consumption in comparison with the year 2013.

In 2014, Estonian electricity production resulted in the generation of a total of 10.9 terawatt-hours, six per cent less than at the same time the previous year. The decrease in electricity production was primarily due to the growth in transit flows from Nordic Countries passing through the Estonian power system, which reduced the role of Estonian producers in covering the deficit of our southern neighbours. Despite this, the Estonian power balance showed strong exports in 2014 – electricity production exceeded consumption by 34 per cent, resulting in an electricity balance surplus or net export of 2.78 terawatt-hours.

Against the background of the overall decrease in production, there was an increase in the production of renewable energy. In 2014, a total of 1.36 terawatt-hours of renewable energy were generated, which is 18 per cent more than in 2013. Production from renewable sources increased among all types of fuels, including increases in production from biomass by one quarter and wind energy by 9 per cent.

In 2014 electricity energy trade flow moved from Estonia to Latvia after day-ahead and intraday trade 99.8 per cent of the time. Power flow moved through cable lines between Estonia and Finland from Finland to Estonia 95 per cent of the time, but from Estonia to Finland for only four per cent of the total time. The total number of hours when trade between Estonia and Finland was disturbed due to emergency maintenance work on the submarine cables represented one per cent altogether.

In comparison with the previous year, electricity production in Latvia decreased by 19 per cent and totalled 4.9 terawatt-hours. Dwindling water inflow has played a significant part in the overall drop in production, with production at the Daugava hydro power plant cascade decreasing by a third. Production capacity at Riga’s combined heat and power plants fell similarly. Latvian consumption decreased by two per cent in comparison with the previous year, creating a deficit of 2.3 terawatt-hours in the electricity balance. In the Latvian internal market, domestic production covered 69 per cent of consumption.

In Lithuania, electricity production in 2014 fell by 14 per cent and reached three terawatt-hours. In contrast, electricity consumption increased by two per cent for a total of 10.6 terawatt-hours. Domestic production covered 28 per cent of Lithuanian electricity consumption last year, with the balance imported more or less equally via the Latvian power system and from third countries.

Overall, consumption volumes in the Baltic States in 2014 totalled 25.9 terawatt-hours, which is of the same order of magnitude as last year. Gross annual electricity production in the three countries decreased by 11 per cent, reaching 18.8 terawatt-hours. The gross deficit in the electricity balance in the Baltics was 7.1 terawatt-hours in 2014. The deficit was covered by imports from the Nordic countries, totalling an estimated 49 per cent, and from third countries, equalling 51 per cent of the deficit.

Electricity production in the Nordic countries increased by two per cent compared to the previous year, resulting in total production of 387 terawatt-hours. Production increased primarily due to larger hydro resources. Electricity consumption in the Nordic countries remained stable in comparison with the year 2013. The gross electricity balance of Nordic countries showed a surplus of 11.6 terawatt-hours over the previous twelve months. 31 per cent of net exports from the Nordic countries went to the Baltics and 69 per cent to Continental Europe.

The full report on the power system for last year is available here (in Estonian).