Estonian electricity production grew by 15 per cent last year

In the last year, electricity production in Estonia grew by 15 per cent compared with 2015, reaching 10.42 terawatt-hours during the year. 

The growth in production was the result of a more favourable competition situation for Estonian electricity producers, which was boosted by lower water levels in Nordic hydro reservoirs in the second half of the year and CO2 emission quota prices that were lower than in the preceding year.

Electricity consumption grew by three per cent year-on-year to 8.39 terawatt-hours, and the Estonian electricity balance saw a surplus of 2.04 terawatt-hours.

Production growth was based mostly on fossil fuels, but renewable energy production fell by six per cent annually. Electricity produced from renewable resources accounted for 15.1 per cent of domestic consumption.

Electricity from neighbouring countries transmitted to the Estonian system network fell by a third compared with the year prior. The DC electrical flow from Finland to Estonia was 3.05 terawatt-hours, and a total of 0.52 terawatt-hours entered Estonia via the AC lines from Latvia and Russia. The volume of electricity leaving Estonia, or electricity taken from the grid, fell by 11 per cent. In this way, 0.68 terawatt-hours of electricity flowed from Estonia to Finland, and a total of 4.92 terawatt-hours flowed to Latvia and Russia via AC lines. Transit flows passing through the Estonian transmission system totalled 3.21 terawatt-hours, falling by 35 per cent compared with 2015.

In Latvia, electricity production grew year-on-year by 17 per cent to 6.22 terawatt-hours. Production increases were supported by the better availability of hydro resources compared with the year before, increasing the Daugava hydro power station’s cascade production by more than a third. Electricity consumption in Latvia totalled 7.22 terawatt-hours, growing by two per cent year-on-year. The year as a whole shows the Latvian electricity balance with a deficit of 1.01 terawatt-hours. Domestic production covered 86 per cent of Latvia’s electricity consumption.

Lithuanian electricity production fell by 19 per cent in the year as a whole, although electricity consumption grew by six per cent. In total, Lithuania produced 2.66 terawatt-hours and consumed 10.11 terawatt-hours of electricity. The Lithuanian electricity balance saw a deficit of 7.45 terawatt-hours as a result, deepening by around a fifth compared to the previous year. The share of Lithuanian producers in covering domestic consumption was 26 per cent.

Gross electricity production in the Baltic States grew by nine per cent compared with 2015 – to 19.30 terawatt-hours –, and electricity consumption increased by four per cent – to 25.72 terawatt-hours. The electricity balance deficit in the three countries fell by10 per cent to 6.42 terawatt-hours. The deficit comprised 25 per cent of electricity consumption. A total of 55 per cent of the electricity balance deficit was covered by imports from the Nordic states.

Nordic electricity production remained at a level comparable with 2015. Electricity consumption grew by two per cent. Gross electricity production in the Nordic states exceeded consumption by one per cent and the electricity balance surplus totalled 5.12 terawatt-hours, which is two thirds less than in 2015.

A full annual summary is available here.