2022-02-23
With economic growth, Lithuania’s electricity consumption in 2021 was the highest in 30 years
“Litgrid”, the Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator, announces electricity system indicators for 2021. Last year, electricity consumption in Lithuania grew by 7.8%, the highest in three decades, reflecting the ongoing post-pandemic economic recovery. Almost half of the electricity generated in Lithuania came from solar, wind and other renewable energy sources.
“In 2021, Lithuania consumed almost 12 TWh of electricity - the most since 1991, when the country’s total electricity consumption was 14.4 TWh. The increase in electricity demand last year reflects the ongoing changes following the COVID-19 pandemic: as the economy recovered, the markets for industry, agricultural facilities and electric vehicles grew, so too did the demand for more electricity in 2021. Electricity consumption has also risen compared to last year, reflecting the fact that a large number of people still work from home. The cold weather of last winter also contributed to the increase in consumption,” says Donatas Matelionis, Director of the System Management Department of “Litgrid”.
He said that while electricity consumption in the first quarter of 2021 was already at a record high, in the last quarter of the year it reached a new high of 3,183.7 GWh, which is the highest amount of electricity consumed in a single quarter in the last decade. In addition, the winter cold wave in December also set an hourly electricity consumption record of 2057 MWh on 8 December at 9am.
The total electricity demand (final consumption including technological costs and the energy of pumped storage power plants) in Lithuania in 2021 was 13.7 TWh, 5.3% higher than the year before. Final consumption was 11.84 TWh or 7.8% higher than in 2020.
Consumption growth has been across all sectors. Residential consumption for the full year increased by 11.5 per cent to 3.4 TWh compared to 2020, industrial consumption rose by 6 per cent to 4.5 TWh, consumption by the service sector and other users increased by 7.4 per cent to 3.6 TWh, and consumption by transport companies increased by 13 per cent.
Almost half of electricity from renewable sources
Almost half of the electricity produced in Lithuania last year came from renewable sources. Wind and biomass electricity generation has been declining, but solar and hydroelectric generation has been increasing.
“As the use of fossil fuels in domestic electricity generation declined over the year, electricity generated from renewable energy sources accounted for 48% of Lithuania's total electricity production. Last year was also a successful year for the integration of solar power plants. Compared to 2020, the amount of electricity generated by solar power plants increased by 45% last year to 0.16 TWh. The difference is even greater when comparing the data for the fourth quarter, when in the last three months of 2021 the country's solar power plants generated as much as 137% more electricity than in the same period of the previous year,” says D. Matelionis.
Due to less favourable environmental conditions, wind power generation fell by 12% to 1.36 TWh last year. Generation from biomass power plants was 39% lower at 0.15 TWh in the third quarter, following a price spike on the biofuel exchange. Hydroelectric generation increased by 28% to 0.38 TWh.
Last year, Lithuania generated a total of 4.7 TWh of electricity, or 9% less than in 2020. Thermal power plant production fell by 12%.
“The country’s power plants generated around 0.5 TWh less electricity last year compared to 2020 indicators. The declining performance of thermal power plants is largely a consequence of high gas prices and more expensive emission permits,” says D. Matelionis.
Changes in imports, exports
In 2021, Lithuania will import 11.92 TWh of electricity (6% more) and export 2.87 TWh (14% less).
As import needs have grown, the distribution of markets has changed markedly over the year. Electricity imports from Latvia increased by almost 2.5 times (5.1 TWh), while imports from Poland increased by 54% (0,86 TWh). Imports from Russia were 37% lower (2.0 TWh in total) and from Sweden 22% lower (3.7 TWh). Lithuania did not engage in any direct commercial transactions with Belarus last year, following the implementation of the Law on Necessary Measures of Protection Against the Threats Posed by Unsafe Nuclear Power Plants in Third Countries.
Exports to Poland accounted for the largest share of electricity exports - 1.8 TWh (21% less). Exports to Sweden grew the most - by 83%.
