In 2022, energy consumption decreased – total energy consumption was 1.3 million terajoules, which was five per cent less than in 2021. The last significant decline in energy consumption in 2020 was caused by the C19 pandemic, which, among other things, reduced energy consumption in the industry.
As Aleksi Sandberg, Senior Statistician at Statistics Finland, points out, several factors contributed to the decline in energy consumption in 2022.
Very warm weather reduced the need for heating, particularly at the beginning of the year. Furthermore, there was a strike in the paper industry from January to April, which reduced the combustion of black liquor (in industrial chemistry, black liquor is a by-product of the production process when wood is processed into paper pulp, where lignin, hemicellulose and other extractive substances are separated from the wood to release cellulose fibres) – a by-product of the pulp industry – for energy production.
The consequences of Russian aggression also affected energy consumption, and after supplies from Russia were halted in May, the consumption of natural gas fell by almost half. The increase in electricity prices also contributed to the decline in demand for electricity.
Compared to the previous year, electricity consumption decreased by six per cent. Alongside the rise in electricity prices, a nationwide electricity-saving campaign likely also contributed to more economical electricity consumption.
Renewable energy sources remained at the previous year's level, accounting for approximately 42% of the total energy consumed. Renewable energy consumption decreased by five per cent compared to the previous year, while the use of wood fuels fell by eight per cent. In contrast, wind energy production increased significantly – by 41%.
"Wind energy production reached a new record last year. The share of wind energy in total electricity consumption increased significantly compared to previous years and was now 14.1%. The growth in wind energy production is mainly due to the increase in wind power capacity in Finland," explained Aleksi Sandberg.
Nuclear energy production also increased significantly last year. The total volume of nuclear energy produced – 264 terajoules – was the highest ever recorded in the history of the statistics, increasing by 7% compared to the previous year.
"The increase was driven by Olkiluoto 3, which was connected to the national power grid in March, when the power plant's test operation began," added A. Sandberg.
The use of fossil fuels and peat decreased in 2022
Fossil fuels accounted for 33.7% of total energy consumption, which is the lowest share since the 1950s. In addition to natural gas, coal consumption also decreased.
However, the use of coal increased by seven per cent, because lower-quality sub-bituminous coal was used due to the energy crisis caused by Russian aggression, replacing both natural gas and wood energy. The increase in coal consumption was also driven by a reduction in electricity imports.
It can be concluded that the decrease in energy consumption in 2022 was determined by several factors, including warm weather, a strike in the paper industry and the consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine. However, the production of renewable energy, especially wind energy, continued to increase, and nuclear energy production also saw a significant rise. The use of fossil fuels and peat decreased, but the use of coal increased due to the energy crisis caused by Russian aggression.