Energy use in manufacturing: documentation of statistics
The documentation of the statistics describes how the statistics were compiled and what methods were used in the compilation. The data help interpret the figures of the statistics and evaluate their reliability and comparability. The quality report is based on the EU's SIMS model. The documentation also contains change releases describing changes in the statistics and possible specifying methodological descriptions.
If you are looking for statistical figures for these statistics, go to the statistics page: Energy use in manufacturing
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
The statistics on energy use in manufacturing describe the use of energy in manufacturing by energy source, industry and region. The data are collected with an inquiry and published once a year.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
The statistics on energy use in manufacturing cover energy consumption of establishments in industries B and C.
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
The statistical unit is an establishment.
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
The population for energy use in manufacturing is formed by establishments in industries B (mining and quarrying) and C (manufacturing).
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
The data cover regionally the whole of Finland. The data are produced on the level of regions (NUTS3).
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
Data on energy use in manufacturing are available from 2007 onwards. The data may be revised in connection with a new release for the whole length of the time series.
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
The data are published in joules (terajoule TJ, petajoule PJ) and watt-hours (gigawatt hour GWh). Data are also produced for international reporting from the data of the statistics, in which case the reporting unit is often physical units, such as thousands of tonnes.
Reference period (SIMS 5)
The reference period of the statistics is one year.
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Coal
Coal has been formed from plant residues hundreds of millions of years ago. In energy statistics coal refers to the energy sources of charcoal (1211,1212), lignite (1221), other coal (1222,1228,1229), coke, and blast furnace and coke oven gases obtained as a by-product from the production of iron.
Electricity
Statistics on the use of electricity in manufacturing are produced in two ways. Total energy consumption in manufacturing is calculated from data on net purchases (purchased/received - sold/delivered) by establishment. Total amount of electricity used by establishments is calculated from data collected with an inquiry about energy use in manufacturing.
Gigawatt hour
Gigawatt hour (GWh) is a unit of energy used to express the amount of energy, i.e. electricity and heat. 1 GWh = 1,000 MWh = 1,000,000 kWh = 1 GWh = 3.6 TJ
Heat
Total energy consumption in manufacturing is calculated from data on net purchases (purchased/received - sold/delivered) of district heat and heat/steam used in industrial processes, i.e. heat obtained from outside for own use.
Oil
Comprises following fuel classification categories: - Refinery gas (1111) - LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) (1112) - Naphtha (1121) - Aviation gasoline (1123) - Kerosene (jet fuel) (1131) - Other kerosenes (1132) - Light fuel oil (heating fuel oil) (1134) - Gasoil (for non-road use) (1135) - Other medium distillates (1139) - Heavy fuel oil, sulphur content < 1% (1141) - Heavy fuel oil, sulphur content = 1% (1142) - Other heavy distillates (1143) - Petroleum coke (1150) - Recycled and waste oils (1160) - Other petroleum products (1190).
Other energy sources
Comprises following fuel classification categories: - Vegetable-based fuels (3170) - Animal-based fuels (3180) - Landfill gas (3211) - Biogas from wastewater treatment (3212) - Industrial biogas (3213) - Other biogas (3219) - Liquid biofuels (3220) - Recovered fuels (3231) - Demolition wood (3232) - Impregnated wood (chemically treated) (3233)- - Other mixed fuels (3239) - Gasified waste (3240) - Plastics waste (4911) - Rubber waste (4912) - Hazardous waste (4913) - Other waste (4919) - Exothermic heat from industry (4920) - Electricity, used in electric boilers and heat pumps (4940) - Hydrogen (4980) - Other non-specified energy sources (4990).
Peat
Comprises following fuel classification categories: - Milled peat (2110) - Sod peat (2120) - Peat pellets and briquettes (2130).
Petajoule
Petajoule (PJ) is a unit of energy used for expressing the energy contents of fuels and other energy sources. 1 PJ = 1,000 TJ; 1 TJ = 0.278 GWh
Region
The country is divided into regions for the development of areas and for the planning of their use. A region is an area in which the municipalities form an operationally and economically functional whole for the development of the area. The Government determines the number, areas and names of regions after hearing the regional councils and municipalities concerned. From September 1997 the areas of regions and the regional councils representing them are exactly the same. Regional councils are responsible for supervising the interests of the municipalities in their area. Nowadays they are also in charge of regional development of their territory. According to the Government resolution (6 February 1997), the regional division of regional councils is taken as the basis for the regional divisions of State regional administrative authorities. The official NUTS regional classification is recommended to be used as the primary regional division in statistics. In Finland NUTS level 1 refers to the division into Mainland Finland and Åland and NUTS level 2 major regions. Regions should correspond to the NUTS level 3 areas, but Finland's NUTS 2021 remains unchanged and corresponds to NUTS 2016 (valid from 1 January 2018 - 31 December 2020). Sub-regional units form LAU level 1 (NUTS 4) and municipalities LAU level 2 (NUTS 5). LAU (Local Administrative Unit). By virtue of the Government decision of 26 February 1998 regions were given their official names. The decision took effect on 1 March 1998.
Register of Enterprises and Establishments
Statistics Finland's Register of Enterprises and Establishments is a basic statistical register that covers all enterprises, corporations (inc. public corporations) and private practitioners of trade that are liable to pay value added tax, or are employers or entered into the preliminary tax withholding register. In 2002, the Register of Enterprises and Establishments contained approximately 320,000 actively operating enterprises and corporations and 384,000 establishments. However, only farms that act as employers or pay value added tax on the proceeds from their business activity are entered into the Register of Enterprises and Establishments. Included are also public authorities, i.e. all government agencies, municipalities and joint municipal boards, and their establishments. Data on the structures of enterprise groups are maintained in the Enterprise Group Register. The Enterprise Group Register covers the largest groups operating in Finland as well as their group heads and subsidiary and associate companies. Data for Statistics Finland's Register of Enterprises and Establishments are obtained from two main sources: Tax Administration's registers and own surveys. Maintenance of the Business Register is decreed in the EU regulation on Business Registers (EEC 2186/92).
Total energy use in manufacturing
Total amounts of fuels used in manufacturing and amounts of electricity and heat purchased from outside for own use (net purchases, i.e. purchased/received - sold/delivered). Thus the amounts of energy are commensurable and when summed up describe the total consumption of energy in a given industry.
Wood fuels
Comprises following fuel classification categories: - Firewood (stems and split firewood) (3111) - Chips from roundwood (3112) - Forest residue chips (3113) - Bark (3121) - Sawdust, cutter shavings etc. (3122) - Wood residue chips (3123) - Unspecified industrial wood residue (3128) - Other industrial wood residue (3129) - Black liquor and other concentrated liquors (3130) - Other by-products from wood processing industry (3140) - Recovered wood (3150) - Wood pellets and briquettes (3160).
Institutional mandate (SIMS 6)
The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.
Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.
Further information: Statistical legislation
Legal acts and other agreements (SIMS 6.1)
The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.
Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.
Further information: Statistical legislation
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
The statistics have their own data collection, comprising three sample groups: large, medium-sized and small operators. Large operators, or significant energy users, include the establishments of enterprises employing more than 1,000 persons, establishments belonging to the main grid industry, those included in emissions trading, enterprises with environmental permits and those using a rare fuel. They are selected for the data collection with the probability of one. Random sampling is carried out on medium-sized enterprises or those with more than ten employees, which are not included in the large stratum. A periodical sample is made of small enterprises, that is, enterprises with fewer than ten employees, in the intermediate years the data on these enterprises' establishments are imputed with the last observation carried forward (LOCF) method. The statistics also utilise administrative registers: data on emissions trading and data from the permit register of the environmental administration. In addition, data on energy efficiency agreements collected by Motiva are also available.
Frequency of data collection (SIMS 18.2)
The data are collected annually.
Data collection (SIMS 18.3)
The data are mainly collected with a web questionnaire, but some multi-establishment enterprises respond in a centralised manner concerning the data on all their establishments using an Excel form. Register data collected by other authorities come to Statistics Finland according to an agreed schedule.
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
Comparisons with other data, earlier periods and other observations in the data are used in the validation of the data. The data of the most important respondents are examined in detail.
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
Errors detected in the data are corrected manually, missing data of the most significant respondents are imputed and the response data of the random sample are raised to the whole population level with inflating coefficients according to the sample design.
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
The reliability of the statistics is affected by non-response and the overestimation or underestimation of energy use in manufacturing which may follow from it. In addition, the inquiry on which the statistics are based assumes that all establishments using rarely used fuels are included. If this is not the case, the statistics underestimate the used amounts of these fuels. Possible sources of error are errors detected in data checking in data suppliers' answers and problems related to the balance limits of institutional areas consisting of several establishments.
Due to the very small sample of the establishments which employ under ten persons, detailed tables may contain inconsistencies associated with a sample survey. For this reason some table cells may receive the value 0 due to the sample survey. This means that no establishment has become selected into the sample, even though in reality some energy use may occur in the cells concerned.
Structural changes related to the ownership of establishments also have an effect on changes in energy use in manufacturing. If, for example, a power plant is operating in connection with an industrial establishment, its data are included depending on whether the plant is owned by the same operator as the industrial plant or whether it is owned by outsiders. If an externally owned plant is transferred to the ownership of an industrial plant, the fuels used by the power plant are included in the energy consumption of manufacturing instead of the earlier energy sector.
Regional data by energy source involve so much randomness and uncertainty that starting from the 2013 data, regional data are only published on total energy consumption and total electricity consumption.
Quality assurance (SIMS 11.1)
Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The European Statistics Code of Practice forms the basis for the common quality system of the European Statistical System.
The Code of Practice is based on 16 principles that concern statistical authorities' independence, accountability and the quality of the processes and data to be published.
The principles are in line with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics approved by the United Nations Statistics Commission and are supplementary to them. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.
Further information: European Statistics Code of Practice | Statistics Finland and Recommendations of the Advisory Board of Official Statistics of Finland | Statistics Finland
Quality assessment (SIMS 11.2)
The quality of the statistics on energy use in manufacturing is assessed in several stages of the statistical process. Annual comparisons are made with the data of other energy statistics.
Data revision - policy (SIMS 17.1)
Revisions – i.e. improvements in the accuracy of statistical data already published – are a normal feature of statistical production and result in improved quality of statistics. The principle is that statistical data are based on the best available data and information concerning the statistical phenomenon. On the other hand, the revisions are communicated as transparently as possible in advance. Advance communication ensures that the users can prepare for the data revisions.
The reason why data in statistical releases become revised is often caused by the data becoming supplemented. Then the new, revised statistical figure is based on a wider information basis and describes the phenomenon more accurately than before.
Revisions of statistical data may also be caused by the calculation method used, such as annual benchmarking or updating of weight structures. Changes of base years and used classifications may also cause revisions to data.
Timeliness (SIMS 14.1)
The statistics are published approximately 11 months after the end of the statistical year.
Punctuality (SIMS 14.2)
There is no delay in releasing data on energy use in manufacturing. The data are published on the days indicated in the release calendar.
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
In international reporting, the uses of fuels are divided based on whether they are used by manufacturing or the transformation sector. In the national statistics on energy use in manufacturing the division principle is the industry of the establishment, so the figures of the national statistics cannot be compared direct with the Finnish figures reported by Eurostat, for example.
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
The time series of energy use in manufacturing are comparable from 2007 onwards. The data are published annually. In connection with the release, data for earlier years may also be updated.
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
The figures of the statistics differ somewhat from the figures for manufacturing reported in other energy statistics. Some of the figures of the statistics are benchmarked to those of other statistics, some are based on data collected with a sample survey, whereby differences arise both from divergent source data and from different calculation methods.
Coherence - internal (SIMS 15.4)
The figures on energy use in manufacturing are internally coherent.
Release calendar (SIMS 8.1)
Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data become public after they have been updated in the web service.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland
Release calendar access (SIMS 8.2)
Statistics Finland's release calendar Future publications
Future publications of the statistics can be found on the page of the statistics at: Future publications of the statistics
User access (SIMS 8.3)
The data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may be processed at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics
Unless otherwise specifically stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer and copyright owner of the data. The terms of use for statistical data.
Frequency of dissemination (SIMS 9)
The data are published annually. In connection with the release, data for earlier years may also be updated.
News release (SIMS 10.1)
The release is published monthly/annually/quarterly on the home page of the statistics.
Online database (SIMS 10.3)
The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.
Confidentiality - policy (SIMS 7.1)
The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed. The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. Alongside the Statistics Act, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and the Finnish Data Protection Act are applied to the processing of personal data. Provisions on the confidentiality of data collected for statistical purposes are laid down in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
The data are processed only by persons who need the data in their work. The use of data is restricted by usage rights. All persons employed by Statistics Finland have signed a pledge of secrecy, where they have obliged to keep secret the data prescribed as confidential by virtue of the Statistics Act or the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)
Confidentiality - data treatment (SIMS 7.2)
The data are released only on such industry, fuel classification and region level from which data on individual respondents cannot be identified or deduced. The general principle is that data are confidential if they consist of fewer than three respondents' responses.