Renewable energy covered one quarter of consumption in the third quarter of the year

In the third quarter, electricity produced from renewable sources formed a quarter of Estonian electricity consumption. In the nine-month summary for the year, the percentage of consumption covered by renewable energy is also 25 percent. By 2030, renewable energy must cover at least 30 percent of domestic final consumption of electricity according to the plan established by Estonia.

In the third quarter, Estonian power plants produced 481 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy – 11 percent less than during the same period in the last year. In the nine-month summary, electricity produced from renewable sources forms 40 percent of Estonian electricity production.

The statistics of renewable energy production in the third quarter were affected by a decrease in the production of electricity from biomass, but also by slightly increased production from wind power and a big increase in the production of electricity from solar power. Wind energy made up 32 percent of the total production of renewable energy in the third quarter. The 155 gigawatt-hours of wind energy produced is one-tenth more compared to the previous year.

Renewable energy producers received a total of 22 million euros of grants from July to September this year – equivalent to the amount received for the same period in the last year. In Q3, 79 percent of the total wind energy output met the conditions for subsidies, amounting to 5.7 million euros. In the nine months starting with the beginning of the year, payments were therefore made to the extent of 60 percent of the maximum limit amount of 600 gigawatt-hours of wind energy to be subsidised, and Elering is not expecting the maximum limit to be met this year.

Electricity produced from biomass, biogas and waste made up 40 percent of the production of renewable energy in the last three months. A total of 193 gigawatt-hours of electricity was generated from these types of fuel from July to September and 8.6 million euros were paid in subsidies, which is a continued decline compared to the same period in the last year.

Just one gigawatt-hour of electricity was produced from hydropower in the third quarter of the year and a little over 40,000 euros were spent on grants.

The number of owners of solar panels receiving subsidies is constantly increasing as the solar farms that applied for the subsidy scheme in the end of the last year are being finished. The volume of electricity generated thanks to solar panels and distributed to the network in Q3 this year was 131.4 gigawatt-hours, and 6.8 million euros were paid in subsidies for electricity produced and distributed to the network thanks to solar power. Thanks to the addition of new solar panels and extremely sunny summer months, this indicator has increased threefold year-over-year. 50 gigawatt-hours of electricity were generated from solar power in the third quarter of last year. Therefore, more than a quarter of the renewable energy production of Estonia in Q3 this year was received from solar power.

Efficient cogeneration subsidies were paid in the amount of 741,000 euros in Q3 this year, which is four times more than during the same period in the last year. 23 gigawatt-hours of electricity were produced in the efficient cogeneration mode.

The renewable energy and efficient co-generation subsidies are financed by power consumers through the renewable energy charge. Elering has collected a total of 69.5 million euros of this charge and paid 71.5 million euros of subsidies this year. Detailed information concerning the renewable energy subsidy amounts are available in the Register of State Aid and De Minimis Aid administered by the Ministry of Finance (https://www.rahandusministeerium.ee/et/riigiabi).