Electricity production and consumption grow by a tenth in January

Domestic electricity consumption grew by 11 per cent year-on-year to 906 gigawatt-hours and production by 10 per cent to 1089 gigawatt-hours by January of this year.

The cause for the growth in consumption was the colder outdoor temperatures – according to data supplied by the Estonian Weather Service, the average air temperature in January 2016 was 6.9 degrees colder than the average temperature in January last year.

Transit flow volumes passing through Estonia fell by a quarter, totalling 351 gigawatt-hours. Taking January as a whole, production surpassed consumption by 20 per cent, and the net balance of electricity exports totalled 183 gigawatt-hours. The Estonian electricity balance saw a surplus for 76 per cent of last month’s hours.

Electricity production from renewable sources fell by 30 per cent compared to January last year, reaching 111 gigawatt-hours. Wind energy production shrank by 47 per cent therein. Electricity produced from renewable sources covered 11 per cent of domestic consumption.

In Latvia, electricity production grew by as much as 46 per cent compared to January last year. Production from combined heat and power (CHP) plants increased fourfold therein. Consumption also increased, by seven per cent, and the electricity balance deficit totalled 82 gigawatt-hours.

Lithuanian electricity production fell by four per cent in January compared with last year, while consumption rose by one per cent. The electricity balance deficit in Lithuania worsened compared with the previous year, rising three per cent to 724 gigawatt-hours. Domestic production covered 26 per cent of local electricity consumption, with the remaining part imported via Latvia and from third countries.

In the Baltic States as a whole, the electricity balance deficit totalled 623 gigawatt-hours in January. The combined shortfall in the three states amounted to 24 per cent of consumption. An estimated 41 per cent of the deficit in the Baltics was covered by imports from the Nordic States, and 59 per cent by imports from third countries.

According to data provided by Nord Pool, gross electricity production in the Nordic States increased by nine per cent and consumption by 10 per cent compared with January of last year. Production increased due to the increased demand caused by the colder weather conditions. There was a small surplus in the total electricity balance in the Nordic States in January – production exceeded consumption by only 92 gigawatt-hours. Overall, the electricity systems of Sweden, Norway and Denmark were net exporters while the Finnish system was a net importer of electricity

A full summary of the state of the electricity system in January can be found here.