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No. 104, 10.09.2008
Last year electricity exports enlarged the production
According to Statistics Estonia, in 2007 Estonian enterprises produced over 12,000
gigawatt hours electricity or one fourth more compared to the previous year. The increase
of production was caused by about a threefold growth of exports.
In 2007 more than 2,700 gigawatt hours of electricity was exported to foreign market. About half
of the exported electricity was transmitted through the Estlink sea cable to Nordic countries.
Exports to Latvia increased 1.5-fold compared to 2006.
During the last years also the generation of electricity from renewable sources has increased. In
2007 compared to 2006, the wind energy production increased by a fifth and hydro energy
production nearly two times. Still the share of renewable energy accounted for only 1.5% of the
total electricity consumption.
In connection with the generation of electricity on the basis of domestic resources the energy
independency rate in Estonia is high. With regard to the production of electricity per capita,
Estonia is one of the leading countries among the EU Member States. 90% of electricity is
produced from local oil shale. In relation to the growth of oil shale production also primary energy
production increased about 17% in 2007 compared to the previous year. Since 2000, the
production of shale oil has also been increasing continuously. More than half of the production is
exported — mainly to the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark and Latvia.
The consumption of mainly domestic resources increases the independency of energy, but also
contributes to the energy intensive economy. During the last years energy intensity of economy
— the consumed energy to the GDP — has been decreasing, but remained about four times
more energy intensive than the EU average. Only Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania are more
energy intensive than Estonia.
In 2007 compared to 2006 the total energy consumption grew over 10%. Of imported fuels, the
consumption of motor fuels increased most (8%). The increase in the number of cars and in the
distance travelled brought along a bigger consumption of motor gasoline and gas diesel oil in
road transport. The consumption of natural gas has stayed almost on the same level as in the
previous years. In 2007 compared to 2006, the consumption of electricity increased 4%.
Production and exports of electricity, 2003–2007
14 000
GWh
Production
12 000
Exports
10 000
8 000
6 000
4 000
2 000
0
2003
2004
2005
For further information:
Helle Truuts
Leading Statistician
Industry, Construction and Energy Statistics Service
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9285
2006
2007
More detailed data have been published in the
Statistical Database (http://www.stat.ee/database).