Tuesday electricity consumption nears all-time record
The recent bout of cold weather and snow across Estonia has been accompanied by near-record levels of electricity consumption. At 10.00 am EET on Tuesday, 22 January, five-minute average electricity consumption was recorded at 1,549 megawatts.
Estonian electricity consumption was very close to the record high of all time on Tuesday, when the five-minute average consumption reached around 1,549 megawatts around 10 am. This compares with the all-time high of 1,587 Megawatts 5-minute average consumption almost nine years to the day, on 28 January 2010, during another cold and snowy winter.
Average hourly consumption on Tuesday between 09.00 and 10.00 was recorded at 1,543 megawatts.
Perhaps most significant, when comparing the figures with 2010, is the price of electricity during these peak consumption times, Whereas in January 2010, when there was no electricity exchange market operating in Estonia, regulated price was close to €30 per MWh to all consumers, it is reported. However, the liberalisation of the market and its ensuing competition has facilitated prices of a little over €80 per MWh for the morning January 22 2019, it is reported.
Electricity production was more than enough to keep up with this high demand, however. Around 2.000 Megawatts of electricity were generated between 07.00 and 22.00 on both Monday and Tuesday (slightly less on Tuesday).
A two-year temperature low was measured in Väike-Maarja at -25.3C on Tuesday morning in Väike-Maarja, Lääne-Viru County.
Estonian electricity is traded on the Nordpool electricity market. Imported electricity from Russia and Belarus, whilst apparently undercutting EU prices due in part to the lack of CO2 emmissions levies in those countries as is the case in the EU, will not be passed on to consumers in price reductions, it is reported.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte