The share of renewable electricity in Estonia’s total electricity consumption was 28.9% in the second quarter of this year, up from 24.7% in the same three-month period in 2020, the country’s transmission system operator Elering said on July 19.
In the second quarter, Estonian power plants produced 602 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity, up by 23%. Electricity produced from renewable sources accounted for almost half of Estonia’s electricity production and almost a third of consumption.
According to Elering, the renewable electricity production statistics was affected by a slight reduction in wind power generation in the second quarter, as well as an increase in biomass, waste and solar power production. Wind energy accounted for 23% of total renewable energy production in the second quarter. The 141 gigawatt-hours of wind energy produced is 13% less than the amount produced last year.
Between April and June, producers received a total of EUR 23 million in subsidies for renewable electricity, 7% less than during the same period last year. In the second quarter, 78% of total wind production received subsidies, with the sum total of subsidies reaching EUR 6 million.
During the second quarter, subsidies for 43% of the annual limit of 600 gigawatt-hours of subsidized wind power were paid out, and Elering did not expect the 600-GWh cap to be reached this year.
Electricity produced from biomass, biogas and waste accounted for 54% of renewable energy production in the three-month period. From April to June, 325 gigawatt-hours of electricity was produced from these fuels and subsidies in the amount of almost EUR 10 million were paid out, which marked a downward trend compared to the same period last year.
The amount of hydroenergy produced in the three months, just like in the first quarter of the year, was 9 gigawatt-hours, and the subsidy for that item amounted to EUR 197,152.
The number of owners of solar panels receiving a subsidy keeps growing rapidly in Estonia. In the second quarter of this year, the amount of electricity produced by solar panels and supplied to the grid was 126.5 gigawatt-hours, and more than EUR 6.5 million in subsidy for electricity produced from solar energy and supplied to the grid was paid out.
Due to greater numbers of solar panels and very sunny summer months, this figure has practically tripled in year-to-year comparison. In the second quarter of last year, only 50 gigawatt-hours of solar electricity was produced in Estonia. Thus, this year, 21% of Estonia’s renewable energy production in the second quarter came from the sun.
Slightly over EUR 800,000 was paid out in high-efficiency cogeneration support in the second quarter of the year, 10% more than in the same period last year. In total 25 gigawatt-hours of electricity was produced by means of high-efficiency cogeneration.
The subsidies for renewable energy and high-efficiency cogeneration are financed by electricity consumers through the renewable energy charge. During the first quarter, Elering collected EUR 48.8 million in the levy and paid out EUR 48.1 million in subsidies. (ERR/Business World Magazine)
