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Published: 20 September 2007

Total energy consumption decreased by 4 per cent in the first half of 2007

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, total energy consumption amounted to 740,000 terajoules in the first half of 2007, which was four per cent less than in the corresponding period of the year before. Consumption of electricity totalled 46 terawatt hours (TWh), i.e. just short of one per cent less than the year before. Carbon dioxide emissions from the production and use of energy diminished by 3 per cent when compared with the emissions of the previous year. The need for heating energy was reduced by warmer weather than in the year before. Emissions decreased slightly less than total energy consumption, because the increased consumption of peat pushed up emissions relatively more than the decrease of the consumption of fossil fuels reduced them.

Consumption of peat increased clearly

Total energy consumption stood at 740,000 terajoules in the first half of the year. The decrease from the corresponding period in the year before was 4 per cent. The biggest reductions were seen in the consumption of coal (which here includes coke and blast furnace gas) and wood fuels, which decreased by 9 and 8 per cent, respectively. The consumption of natural gas and oil decreased as well. Consumption of peat increased by 17 per cent and production of hydro power grew by 8 per cent from the year before. Net imports of electricity were slightly higher than one year previously.

Total energy consumption, petajoules (1 petajoule = 1,000 terajoules)

The first half of the year was warmer than in the year before, which reduced the need for heating energy. The structure of electricity supply stayed fairly unchanged from the previous year and did not cause any major changes in total energy consumption. Taken as a whole, a sufficient number of emission rights were left for the first emissions trading period, which caused their prices to sink close to zero. Therefore, no additional costs were generated by consumption of fossil fuels and peat to actors in the emissions trade sector. This boosted their competitiveness when compared with wood fuels.

The carbon dioxide emissions of energy production and use decreased slightly. Decrease in the consumption of fossil fuels reduced emissions, whereas growth in the consumption of peat increased them. Emissions totalled approximately 31 tonnes during the first half of the year compared to over 32 tonnes in the previous year. The decrease amounted to 3 per cent.

The consumer prices of liquid fuels (average prices of the 15th day of the month) were lower, on average, in the first half of the year than in the previous year. The difference was bigger in the cases of light and heavy fuel oil than in the cases of petrol and diesel. The prices stood at their lowest in the beginning of the year and then gradually rose towards the summer, which has been the case in recent years. As the year progressed, the prices came closer to the levels reached in the year before. In June the price of petrol was 2 per cent up from June of the previous year. By contrast, light fuel oil was 8 per cent cheaper in June than one year previously.

Consumption of electricity on level with the previous year

Electricity consumption fell slightly in the first half of the year, from 47 TWh to 46 TWh. Combined production of electricity decreased, separate production in condensing power plants remained on level with the year before and the production of hydro power increased. The water situation in the Nordic countries was better this year than in the year before. Net imports from the Nordic countries remained rather high, even though they decreased from the previous year. A new alternative in electricity imports and exports was the transmission connection between Estonia and Finland. The connection was used nearly exclusively for imports, and its share of total imports was 11 per cent.

Households' and agricultural holdings' total prices of electricity inclusive of taxes (list prices recorded on the 1st day of the month) fell slightly throughout the first half of the year. In the beginning of the year the prices were higher than ever before and despite the fall they were 3 to 4 per cent higher in the beginning of July than one year previously.

Prices on the Nordic electricity market were clearly cheaper in the first half of the year than in the year before, and somewhat cheaper than two years previously. The mean price in July in Finland was 54 per cent lower than one year before and 25 per cent lower than two years previously.

Source: Energy supply, consumption and prices 2007, 2nd quarter. Statistics Finland. The data will also be published in the Ministry of Trade and Industry's Energy Review 3/2007.

Inquiries: Mr Saku Slioor, tel. +358 9 1734 2685, energia@stat.fi

Director in charge: Ms Kaija Hovi

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Figures

Last updated 20.9.2007

Referencing instructions:

Statistics: Energy supply, consumption and prices [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-338X. 2nd quarter 2007. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ehkh/2007/02/ehkh_2007_02_2007-09-20_tie_001_en.html