Power Production Increases Six Per Cent in January Compared to Last Year, Consumption Decreases Five Per Cent

Estonian power production increased by six per cent in January compared to last year, reaching 994 gigawatt-hours. Consumption decreased by five per cent, totalling 815 gigawatt-hours.

The increase in production was due to the physical export of electrical energy, which has more than doubled in a year-on-year comparison. The drop in consumption was caused by significantly warmer weather conditions in comparison with January last year. According to data provided by the Estonian Weather Service, the average air temperature was -0.8 degrees in January, whereas last January it was -6.4 degrees.

Electricity production from renewable sources increased by 43 per cent compared to January last year, reaching 156 gigawatt-hours. Production increase was mostly due to wind energy, while a rise in production was also seen for hydro-energy and biomass sources. In January, more than half of all renewable energy was produced from wind energy sources, 41 per cent from biomass sources and three per cent from hydro sources.

The increase in production from wind power plants was caused by very favourable wind conditions in a year-on-year comparison. For example, according to the Estonian Weather Service, the average daily wind speed at the Virtsu and Pakri measuring stations was 54 per cent higher than the same time last year. The increase in hydro-energy was caused by higher levels of precipitation in January 2015 compared to the previous year. All in all, renewable energy accounted for more than 17 per cent of Estonia’s total power consumption last month.

Electricity production in Latvia decreased by 26 per cent in January compared to the same month last year, reaching a total of 439 gigawatt-hours. Electricity consumption fell by six per cent in a yearly comparison and the electricity balance ran a deficit of 241 gigawatt-hours. Domestic production in Latvia covered 65 per cent of domestic consumption, with the remaining 35 per cent of electricity for domestic consumption being imported via the Estonian power system.

In Lithuania, electricity production decreased by 11 per cent in a year-on-year comparison, totalling 270 gigawatt-hours. Electricity consumption fell by one per cent and the electricity balance deficit increased by four per cent, reaching 701 gigawatt-hours. Electricity produced in Lithuania covered 28 per cent of domestic consumption. 51 per cent of the electricity balance deficit was compensated for by imports via Latvia, while the remaining 49 per cent was imported from third countries.

The electric power deficit in the Baltic States was 764 gigawatt-hours this January, and the gross deficit for total power consumption in the three countries reached 31 per cent. At the same time last year, the Baltic States ran a deficit of 726 gigawatt-hours, amounting to a total of 28 per cent of the total consumption of the three countries.

On 1 January 2015, the system operators of the Baltic States established a joint balancing area, as a result of which the import price of balancing electricity decreased by 43 per cent in a year-on year comparison to 58.2 euros per megawatt hour. This slump occurred due to the reorganisation of the Baltic price area, which allows the sharing of costs and the balancing of imbalances in the power systems of the three countries.

Gross electricity production in the Nordic countries fell by six per cent in January compared to last year. Production decreased by 17 per cent in Denmark, 10 per cent in Finland and seven per cent in Sweden, while only Norway showed a modest increase in production. The fall in production was the result of lower electricity consumption as well as lower hydro reservoir levels. Power consumption in the Nordic countries decreased by four per cent compared to January last year. The Nordic countries exported 0.5 terawatt-hours of electricity in January.

A full overview of the electricity system for January is available here (in Estonian).