Electricity Consumption on the Rise in May After Several Months

Domestic electricity consumption increased by 2% compared to May last year, reaching 620 gigawatt hours. Electricity production, however, decreased by 4% to 892 gigawatt hours.

Air temperature, which was close to two degrees lower than in May last year, can be considered the main reason for the increased consumption. Previous rise in the monthly consumption by an annual calculation occurred in August last year.

Although the Estonian electricity production decreased in May, it was higher than in December last year or February this year. However, the total electricity production of the first five months of this year was still 16% smaller than that of the same period last year.

Despite of decreased production, the Estonian electricity balance stays positive, i.e. Estonia exports electricity. Based on the electricity balance in May, production exceeds domestic consumption by 44%, leaving a surplus of 271 gigawatt hours for net export.

A total of 86 gigawatt hours of renewable energy was produced last month, which is one per cent more than in the same period last year. While electricity production in wind parks increased, the production from hydro-energy and biomass decreased. Renewable energy constituted 12.2% of the total consumption.

Electricity production in Latvia decreased in May by 47% compared to last year, amounting to a total of 402 gigawatt hours. The consumption decreased by 2% to 547 gigawatt hours. The decrease in production was mostly caused by reduction of production output in hydropower stations (-65%) due to diminished water inflow level of the Daugava river. Latvia’s electricity balance deficiency in May amounted to 145 gigawatt hours, whereas a year ago, a surplus of 200 gigawatt hours of electricity was exported.

In Lithuania, electricity production in May decreased by 10% compared with the same period a year before, reaching 137 gigawatt hours. Domestic consumption, on the other hand, increased by 2%, reaching 829 gigawatt hours. Thus, the Lithuanian domestic production was only able to cover 17% of consumption.

The combined electricity consumption in the Baltic States grew by one per cent compared to same period last year, amounting to a total of 1,996 gigawatt hours. 565 gigawatt hours of electricity consumed in the Baltic States was covered by cheaper electricity imported from the Nordics and third countries.

Electricity production in the Nordic countries increased by five percent in May compared to the same time last year. The increase mainly derives from a 15% rise in electricity production in Norway. At the same time, consumption has increased by 2% in the Nordic countries. Nordic electricity balance continued to be positive in May – combined production exceeded consumption by 0.6 terawatt hours. Norway and Sweden were exporting, while Finland and Denmark were importing electrical systems.

The full summary on the electrical system in May is available here (in Estonian).