In 2023, Latvia generated 6,388 GWh of electricity (27.0% more than in 2022), of which 4,963 GWh came from renewable energy sources (RES), according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau. Compared with 2022, the volume generated from RES rose by 30.0% (by 1,146 GWh). Wind power stations (WPS) and solar power stations (SPS) generated 92.5% more electricity in 2023 than in 2022.

The most notable increase in electricity generation in 2023 was at solar power stations – 239 GWh, more than three times as much, or 164 GWh more than in 2022, driven by the brisk installation of solar panels and the development of solar parks. Wind power stations generated 271 GWh of electricity, which is 42.6%, or 81 GWh, more than in 2022. Hydroelectric power stations, meanwhile, generated 3,794 GWh in 2023 – 38.0%, or 1,044 GWh, more electricity than the year before, driven by increased water inflow and a long flood season.

Cogeneration plants generated 2,083 GWh of electricity last year, of which 31.6% came from RES (at biogas and biomass cogeneration plants), 8.2 percentage points more than in 2022. Compared with the previous year, electricity generated at biogas cogeneration plants fell in 2023 from 250 GWh to 182 GWh (by 27.2%), while at biomass power stations and cogeneration plants it fell from 552 GWh to 477 GWh (by 13.6%).

Electricity generated from renewable energy sources (in gigawatt hours)

In 2023, total RES consumption in Latvia was 82.6 petajoules (PJ). Compared with 2022, RES consumption in 2023 was 3.3%, or 2.6 PJ, higher.

Total RES consumption rose by 9.8% (7.4 PJ) over the five years from 2019 to 2023. Total consumption of wood fuel rose by 1.8% (by 1.1 PJ) over the five years and reached 63.0 PJ in 2023. Compared with 2022, wood fuel consumption fell by 1.6% (by 1.0 PJ).

Wood fuel accounted for 76.2% of total RES consumption in 2023 (80.0% in 2022). Electricity consumption, meanwhile, accounted for 18.8%. Biofuel accounted for 0.7% of total consumption in 2023, 0.3 percentage points less than in 2022. Biogas and other energy resources accounted for 2.2% and 2.1% of consumption respectively.

Structure of renewable energy consumption (per cent)

Exports of wood fuel fell by 8.2% over the year

Last year 23.1 PJ of wood pellets were exported, 21.0%, or 6.1 PJ, less than in 2022. Exports of wood residues and briquettes also declined. Last year 1.1 PJ of wood fuel residues were exported, 0.3 PJ less than in 2022. Exports of wood briquettes, at 0.4 PJ, saw only a slight decrease of 5.0%. Firewood exports in 2023 came to 6.0 PJ, which is 1.1 PJ, or 22.8%, more than in 2022. Exports of wood chips for fuel also grew – by 1.6 PJ, or 16.3%, more than in 2022 (11.4 PJ in 2023).

The transformation sector is the largest consumer of wood fuel

The largest consumer of wood fuel is the transformation sector1 – in 2023 its consumption (22.9 PJ) made up 36.3% of total wood fuel consumption. Wood consumption in the transformation sector rose by 4.6% (by 1 PJ) over the five years from 2019 to 2023. Thermal energy produced from solar collectors in the transformation sector, meanwhile, came to 9 GWh, or 31 TJ, in 2023, which was 2 GWh (8 TJ) less than in 2022.

Households accounted for 29.0% of total wood consumption in 2023, and their wood fuel consumption fell by 1.5%, or 0.3 PJ, compared with 2022. Within industry and construction, the largest consumption of wood fuel was in the manufacture of wood and wood products, which used 18.3 PJ in 2023, or 95.5% of total wood fuel consumption in industry and construction.

Structure of wood fuel consumption (per cent)

Electricity consumption in road transport has grown steadily since 2022

Electricity consumption in transport came to 386 TJ in 2023, which is 5.8% (21 TJ) more than in 2022, driven by the growing number of electric cars. The increase last year compared with the previous year was similar – 20 TJ. Compared with 2022, electricity consumption in road transport rose by 25.0% (by 31 TJ), while in rail transport it fell by 3.0% (by 7 TJ). Electricity consumption in pipeline transport continues to fall and came to 5 TJ in 2023 – 37.5%, or 3 TJ, less than the previous year and 4.6 times (18 TJ) less than in 2019. Biofuel consumption in the transport sector in 2023 was 0.2 PJ (25.0%) lower than in 2022. This was driven by the government's decision to suspend the mandatory biofuel blending requirement from 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2023.

Consumption of renewable energy and electricity in the transport sector (TJ)

Latvia has the third highest share of RES in final energy consumption in the European Union

As total RES consumption grows, Latvia is moving closer to the overall target for promoting the use of RES2 – to reach a 50.0% share of energy produced from RES in gross final energy consumption by 2030. Latvia has the third highest share of RES in final energy consumption in the European Union (EU), which was 43.3% in 2022 (EU average – 23.0%). Latvia must ensure that 7.0% of the energy consumed in transport is renewable by 2030. In 2022, the share of RES in transport in Latvia was 3.13%, against an EU average of 9.6%. The share of RES in heating, meanwhile, was 61.0% in 2022, the third highest figure among all EU member states after Sweden (69.4%) and Estonia (65.4%). Across the EU4, renewable energy made up 24.9% of total energy consumed for heating and cooling.

More information about the energy sector, including RES, is available in the official statistics portal section “Sectors – Energy”.

Methodological notes

1. The transformation sector covers the volume of energy resources consumed for the production and sale of electricity and thermal energy, as well as for the production of peat briquettes and charcoal
2. Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 573 “Updated National Energy and Climate Plan for 2021–2030”
3. The calculations use SHARES, the programme developed by Eurostat
4. European Union member state averages are for the 27 EU member states