Electricity consumption remains stable, production falls by a sixth in 2015

Last year, 8137 gigawatt-hours of electricity were consumed in Estonia, about the same amount as in 2014. However, annual electricity production fell by 17 per cent to 9062 gigawatt-hours.

Electricity consumption exceeded 2014 levels during the period from March to October, while consumption levels in the winter period remained below levels in the same months in 2014.

The primary cause for the fall in production was the lower electricity exchange price, which itself was caused by cheaper inflows of electricity from the Nordic states. The annual average price last year was 31.08 euros, compared with 37.61 euros the year before. Despite production falls, electricity production exceeded annual total domestic consumption by 11 per cent, leaving an electricity balance surplus of 925 gigawatt-hours. During the year, transit flows passing through Estonia grew by a third to 4939 gigawatt-hours. Domestic electricity transmission service volumes remained at 2014 levels.

Last year, a total 1507 gigawatt-hours of electricity was produced from renewable energy sources, making up 16.7 per cent of total electricity consumption.

Latvian electricity production grew at an annual rate of eight per cent, and consumption fell by one per cent. The Latvian electricity balance saw a deficit of 1.76 terawatt-hours, which when compared with the previous year is 22 percent lower than the previous figure. Electricity was imported to Latvia via the Estonian electricity system to cover consumption demand.

In Lithuania, production grew by a tenth, consumption fell by two per cent, and the electricity deficit amounted to 7.18 terawatt-hours. Domestic production covered 31 per cent of Lithuania’s domestic consumption demands. Imports via Latvia covered 55 per cent of the deficit, with imports from third countries covered 45 per cent of the deficit.

Gross electricity production in the Baltic States fell by six per cent year-on-year to 17.65 terawatt-hours. Gross consumption totalled 25.67 terawatt-hours, falling by one per cent in comparison with 2014. The electricity balance deficit in the Baltic States totalled 8.01 terawatt-hours, further increasing the previous year’s figure by 13 per cent. This deficit constituted 31 per cent of electricity consumption in the three countries. An estimated 61 per cent of the electricity deficit in the Baltics was covered by imports from the Nordic countries, and 39 per cent by imports from third countries.

Electricity production in the Nordic countries exceeded consumption by four per cent, leaving an electricity balance surplus of 15.86 terawatt-hours.

A full-length annual overview of the electricity system is available here.