Renewable energy produces 45% electricity in 2016

The production of electricity in Finland amounted to 66.2 TWh in 2016 and remained on level with the previous year, according to Statistics Finland.

The amount of electricity produced with renewable energy sources also remained on level with the previous year, being 29.6 TWh, which is 45 per cent of total electricity production.

The production of district heat grew by 10 per cent and that of industrial heat by two per cent. The use of fossil fuels in the production of electricity and heat grew, 32 per cent more hard coal was used in the production of electricity and heat than in the year before. The use of peat fell by three per cent.

These data was derived from the statistics on the production of electricity and heat compiled by Statistics Finland.

Of total electricity consumption, 78 per cent was covered by domestic production and 22 per cent by net imports of electricity from the Nordic countries, Russia and Estonia.

Net imports of electricity grew by 16 per cent from the year before. Thirty-two per cent of domestic electricity production was based on combined heat and power production.

Over one-half of the electricity produced with renewable energy sources was produced with hydro power, one tenth with wind power and almost all of the remainder with wood-based fuels. The share of hydro power in electricity production varies yearly according to the water situation. In 2016, hydro power was used for producing 15.6 TWh of electricity. Seventeen per cent of electricity was produced with fossil fuels, four per cent with peat and 34 per cent with nuclear power.

In 2016, the amount of electricity produced with renewable energy sources was on level with the previous year. The amount of electricity produced with hydro power decreased by six per cent and that produced with wind power grew by one third. Correspondingly, the amount of electricity produced with wood increased by one per cent. Completed waste-to-energy plants also contributed to the growth in the use of renewable energy in electricity production.

Although the amount of electricity produced with renewable energy sources varies by year due to hydro power production, its trend has been rising in recent years. The amount of electricity produced with fossil fuels grew by three per cent from the year before, as the amount produced with hard coal grew by 36 per cent and that produced with natural gas declined by 28 per cent. The use of fossil fuels varies yearly particularly according to the use of hard coal. In recent years, the use has, however, decreased as a whole. The amount of electricity produced with peat in 2016 decreased by six per cent from the year before.