Electricity Production and Consumption Fell in November

Estonia’s November electricity consumption decreased by five percent compared to the same period of last year, to 684 gigawatt-hours. The main cause for the reduction is most likely the warmer-than-normal climate conditions – the average air temperature was a degree higher than the previous November.

A total of 962 gigawatt-hours of electricity was produced in Estonia in November, one percent less than the same period of last year. Biomass and biogas fueled production increased by 11%, while the output of hydro and wind power stations decreased by 30% and 5% respectively.

Estonia’s commercial electricity exports for November grew by 1% year-on-year, to 471 gigawatt-hours, out of which 455 gigawatt-hours went to Latvia. Exports to Finland totaled 16 gigawatt-hours. Estonia’s commercial imports fell by 17% year-on-year, to 184 gigawatt-hours. Almost all of the imports came from Finland.

In Latvia, a total of 471 gigawatt-hours of electricity was produced in November, a decrease of 18% compared to the same month of 2012. A significant reason for the decrease in electricity production was the low fill rate of the Daugava river, which meant that the combined output of the Daugava hydro power plants’ cascade fell by 70% compared to the same period a year ago. Electricity production at Riga’s combined heat and power plants increased by nearly a factor of three, however. Electricity consumption in Latvia fell by three percent, to 621 gigawatt-hours. Electricity produced in Latvia managed to cover 76% of domestic consumption, with a deficit in the electricity balance of 150 gigawatt-hours.

In Lithuania, electricity production fell by 16% year-on-year, to 219 gigawatt-hours. Domestic output could only cover 24% of consumed electricity, so overall for November, Lithuania’s electricity balance required physical imports of 684 gigawatt-hours. 55% of the required electricity was imported from third countries.

The electricity shortfall of the Baltics as a whole was 556 gigawatt-hours, an increase of 25% compared to the previous year. November’s deficit accounted for a quarter of all consumption in the Baltic states. 31% of the shortfall was covered by imports from the Nordics, while 69% was imported from third countries.

Out of electricity consumed in Estonia, an average of 86% was purchased in the NPS power exchange’s day-ahead market, while 91% of all produced electricity was sold there. In Latvia, the corresponding figures were 30% and 5%, while in Lithuania they were 82% and 36%.

Electricity production in the Nordics fell by four percent compared to the same period of the previous year, while consumption fell by one percent. Despite a surplus in the electrical balances of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the combined electricity balance of the Nordics was still 242 gigawatt-hours short. This was covered by imports from Germany and Russia. A year ago this time, the Nordics exported 888 gigawatt-hours of electricity.