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Published: 20 March 2008

Total energy consumption down by one per cent in 2007

According to preliminary data, total consumption of primary energy amounted to 1.48 million terajoules (TJ) in 2007, which was one per cent less than in the year before. Consumption of electricity amounted to 90 terawatt hours (TWh), which was roughly the same as one year previously. Total consumption of primary energy was lowered by warmer weather than in the year before as well as the increased use of hydro power and imported electricity. Carbon dioxide emissions from the production and use of energy decreased by 3 per cent when compared with the emissions of the previous year.

Consumption of peat increased clearly

Total consumption of energy stood at 1.48 million terajoules (TJ) in 2007. The decrease from the year before amounted to one per cent. The biggest reduction was seen in the consumption of coal (which includes hard coal, coke, blast furnace gas and coke oven gas), which decreased by 12 per cent. The consumption of natural gas, wood fuels and oil decreased as well. Consumption of peat increased by 13 per cent and the production volume of hydro power was 23 per cent higher than in the year before and 9 per cent higher than the average in the past decade. Net imports of electricity were 10 per cent higher than in 2006. The share of renewable energy of total energy consumption stayed nearly on level with the year before. Its share was 25 per cent (EU targets for the share of renewable energy are calculated from final energy consumption).

The year was warmer than the year before, which reduced the need for heating energy. Total consumption of energy was lowered by the substitution of separate production of electricity in condensing power plants with hydro power and imported electricity. Taken as a whole, a sufficient number of emission rights were left from 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 improved the competitiveness of these fuels in energy production when compared with renewable energy. The feed-in tariff system for peat, which entered into force in the beginning of May, improved the competitive position of peat when compared with hard coal in separate production of electricity.

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

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. Last year emissions totalled approximately 62 tonnes compared to over 64 tonnes in the year before. The decrease amounted to 3 per cent.

Consumption of electricity on level with the year before

Last year the consumption of electricity stayed on level with the year before, that is, at 90 TWh. Production of electricity decreased by one per cent. The biggest reduction, at 17 per cent, was observed in the separate production of electricity at condensing power plants. Combined production of electricity decreased as well. Production of hydro power increased by 23 per cent and net imports of electricity by 10 per cent. The water situation in the Nordic countries was better this year than in the year before. Increases were seen both in imports from the Nordic countries and in exports to them. Imports, however, increased clearly more, which caused the small net exports to the Nordic countries in 2006 to turn into net imports. A new alternative in electricity imports and exports was the transmission line between Estonia and Finland. It was used nearly exclusively for imports, and its share of total imports was 12 per cent.

Energy prices rose at the end of the year

The consumer prices of liquid fuels (average prices of the 15th day of the month) were on average on the same level in 2007 as in the year before. 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. Unlike in the two previous years, prices did not fall after the summer, but were at their most expensive both for diesel oil and light and heavy fuel oil in November to December. The price of petrol was also almost at its summer levels during the period. Prices continued to rise in January 2008, partly due to the rise in excise duty.

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 2007 but remained slightly above those observed in the year before. Prices started to rise slightly in September and were 5 to 6 per cent higher in January 2008 than one year previously. In the beginning of the year 2008 prices were higher than ever before.

Until October the prices on the Nordic electricity market were clearly lower than in the year before. In November prices rose nearly to their 2006 level and in December they stood clearly above those of one year previously, when a fall in prices was observed in December. The area price for Finland was 36 per cent higher in December than in 2006.

Sources: Preliminary energy statistics 2007. Statistics Finland.

The data will also be published in the Ministry of Employment and the Economy's Energy Review 1/2008.

Inquiries: Mr Saku Slioor +358 9 1734 2685, Ms Kirsi-Marja Aalto +358 9 1734 3442

Director in charge: Ms Kaija Hovi

Tables

Appendix tables

Figures

Last updated 20.3.2008

Referencing instructions:

Statistics: Energy supply, consumption and prices [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-338X. 4th quarter 2007. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ehkh/2007/04/ehkh_2007_04_2008-03-20_tie_001_en.html