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Published: 14 March 2007

Total energy consumption increased by 8 per cent last year

According to preliminary data of Statistics Finland, total energy consumption increased by eight per cent in Finland last year. Total energy consumption amounted to 1,480 petajoule, corresponding with 35.3 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Total consumption of electricity went up by six per cent. The growth in the total energy consumption was mostly due to increased use of fuels in the production of electricity. A further significant contributor was the need of energy in industry, which rose from its exceptionally low level in the previous year.

Domestic production of electricity grew by 16 per cent to 79 terawatt hours (TWh), or near the 2003 and 2004 levels. Consumption of fuels in the production of electricity increased by 70 per cent from the previous year. Most of the increase came from the production of condensate electricity which more than tripled from the previous year.The energy content of the fuels used in condensate electricity production is 2.5-fold that of the produced electricity. The production of condensate electricity and, respectively, the consumption of fuels for it, fluctuate strongly from year to year depending on the availability of Nordic hydro power. Production of condensate power is high during dry periods but very low during years with plentiful water supplies.

Because of the poor water situation in the Nordic countries, the net imports of electricity from Sweden and Norway that still ran quite high in early last year swung to net exports to the Nordic countries. Slightly more electricity was exported to the Nordic countries than imported from them to Finland last year. Although imports from Russia remained on level with the previous year, net imports of electricity fell to 11 TWh and the share of the imported electricity of total consumption diminished to 13 per cent.

Notable increase in the consumption of fossil fuels

Last year, the use of fossil fuels increased by 15 per cent and the use of peat by 29 per cent from the year before. Among the fossil fuels, consumption of coal increased most, by around 68 per cent. The large growth is explained by its multiplied use in condensate production. All in all, the use of hard coal doubled from the previous year. In addition, the consumption of coke, blast furnace gas and coke oven gas included in the consumption of coal also increased, although only slightly. The use of natural gas went up by eight per cent from 2005.

The use of renewable energy also increased clearly, or by six per cent, from the previous year. The use of wood fuels went up by nine per cent in all. The biggest increase was recorded in the use of black liquor as production in the forest industry returned to normal from the low level it fell to last year because of the industrial dispute. The use of other wood fuels also increased in industry. The production of hydro power declined by 17 per cent last year. Reduction in the production of wind power amounted to nine per cent.

The proportion of renewable energy sources of total energy consumption remained almost on level with the year before, at 24 per cent. By contrast, the share of fossil fuels increased clearly and reached 50 per cent of total energy consumption.

Total energy consumption 2005-2006, petajoule

  2005
PJ		 2006*
PJ		 Change
%
Oil 362 361 -0
Wood fuels 273 299 9
Nuclear energy 244 240 -2
Natural gas 149 161 8
Coal 129 218 69
Peat 69 89 29
Net imports of electricity 61 41 -33
Hydro power and wind power 50 41 -17
Others 27 30 9
Total 1,366 1,480 8

Carbon dioxide emissions of the energy sector went up by 22 per cent

According to preliminary data, carbon dioxide emissions from the production and consumption of energy went up by 22 per cent last year from the year before. This was due to increased use of fossil fuels and peat. The carbon dioxide emissions amounted to approximately 65 million tonnes, having been 53 million tonnes one year earlier. Carbon dioxide emissions from the production and consumption of energy also exceeded by 22 per cent the emission level of the base year of 1990 of the Kyoto Protocol. On the average, the energy sector's carbon dioxide emissions account for 80 per cent of the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions monitored under the Kyoto Protocol.

Greenhouse gas emissions 1990-2006

 

Final energy consumption grew by 4 per cent

Final energy consumption, that is, the energy left for the consumption of enterprises, households and other consumers, grew by four per cent from the previous year. The growth in the final consumption came from increased need of energy in industry, which is explained by increases in the outputs of energy-intensive industries, especially the forest industry. In 2005, production in the forest industry fell exceptionally low because of an industrial dispute. In the other sectors, final consumption remained on level with the previous year.

Price of electricity high

Prices on the Nordic electricity market remained high almost throughout last year. No clear fall happened in them until towards the end of the year and the median prices in December were lower than in the previous year. In August, the median price in Finland, EUR 67.24/MWh, was only slightly below the top prices at the turn of 2002/2003. Throughout the year the price level remained higher than ever before. The first day list prices of households and agricultural holdings recorded in statistics rose by between eight and 11 per cent last year.

The average consumer prices of liquid fuels were also higher last year than in the year before. Much like the world market prices of crude oil, the prices peaked in July and August. Towards the end of the year the prices fell and were slightly lower in December than in December 2005.

Sources: Preliminary energy statistics 2006. Statistics Finland.
Greenhouse Gas Inventory
The data will also be published in the Ministry of Trade's and Industry's Energy Review 1/2007.

Inquiries: Mr Saku Slioor +358 9 1734 2685, Ms Leena Timonen +358 9 1734 2518

Director in charge: Ms Kaija Hovi

Tables

Appendix tables

Figures

Last updated 14.3.2007

Referencing instructions:

Statistics: Energy supply, consumption and prices [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-338X. 4th quarter 2006. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ehkh/2006/04/ehkh_2006_04_2007-03-14_tie_001_en.html