Electricity production in March falls 41 per cent, consumption down by 7 per cent

According to Elering data, a total of 677 gigawatt-hours of electricity was generated in Estonia in March, which is 41 per cent less than during the same period last year. Similarly to production, electricity consumption also fell, decreasing by 7 per cent to 805 gigawatt-hours.

In the first quarter of this year, electricity production dropped by 22 per cent compared to the same time a year ago, and the output amounted to 2,413 gigawatt-hours. Consumption decreased by 3 per cent overall for the first three months of the year, being 2,472 gigawatt-hours.

The share of renewable energy in consumption was 21.4 per cent in March. Production of renewable energy in March was 34 per cent higher than it was in the same month a year ago, and stood at 186 gigawatt-hours. Last month, production of hydro energy grew by 102 per cent and wind energy production was up 73 per cent, while 9 per cent more energy was produced from biomass and gas.

Similarly to Estonia, electricity output dropped in Latvia in March, falling 6 per cent to 679 gigawatt-hours in Latvia, while in Lithuania output increased by 18 per cent to 359 gigawatt-hours. In March, power consumption was down in both Latvia and Lithuania, decreasing 5 per cent to 643 gigawatt-hours in Latvia and 4 per cent to 1,056 gigawatt-hours in Lithuania.

As a whole last month, the Baltics generated 1,715 gigawatt-hours of power and consumed 2,504 gigawatt-hours, for a balance of minus 789 gigawatt-hours.

In the Nordics in February, the production volume totalled 36,312 gigawatt-hours and consumption stood at 37,140 gigawatt-hours. The deficit was thus 828 gigawatt-hours. The deficit in Finland last month was 1,723 gigawatt-hours and in Norway, 1,678 gigawatt-hours, while Sweden had a surplus of 2,362 gigawatt-hours.

According to Elering data, a total of 256 gigawatt-hours of electricity was imported to Estonia in March, which is 91 per cent more than during the same period last year. Of this, three-fourths entered Estonia from Finland. The electricity export figure was 124 gigawatt-hours, 70 per cent lower year over year. Around two-thirds of exported electricity flowed to Latvia and one-third to Finland.