Energy production in Finland
Development of carbon dioxide emissions

Energy in Finland describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Finland. Energy policy of Finland describes the politics of Finland related to energy. Electricity sector in Finland is the main article regarding electricity in Finland.

Finland lacks domestic sources of fossil energy and must import substantial amounts of petroleum, natural gas, and other energy resources, including uranium for nuclear power.

Energy consumption in Finland per capita is the highest in the European Union. Reasons for this include industries with high energy consumption (half of the energy is consumed by industry), high standards of living, cold climate (25% of consumption is used in heating) and long distances (16% of consumption is used in transport).[1][2] Finland and Estonia are two of the last countries in the world still burning peat.[3][4]

Statistics

2020 energy statistics[5]
Production capacities for electricity
(billion kWh)
TypeAmount
Nuclear59.74
Hydro41.50
Biomass31.84
Fossil fuel23.97
Wind power21.28
Solar0.71
Total179.04
      
Electricity
(billion kWh)
CategoryAmount
Consumption79.36
Production66.98
Import21.62
Export6.67
      
Crude Oil
(barrels per day)
Consumption207,400
Production8,300
Import232,400
      
Natural Gas
(billion m3)
Consumption2.39
Import2.57
Export0.01

CO2 emissions:
36.33 million tons

Consumption

Final consumption of energy - i.e. after losses through transformation and transmission - was 1 102 petajoules, which equals 202 gigajoules per capita in 2013. Of this, 46% is consumed by industry, 16% in transportation and 25% in heating.[2]

Energy consumption per capita in Finland is the highest in EU. Reasons for this include energy-intensive industry, a high standard of living, a cold climate and long distances. Rise of energy consumption stopped in the 21st century, mainly due to changes of industry. There is now less heavy industry and the energy efficiency has improved. New energy consuming business is the data centres of international enterprises.[1]

Energy consumption increased 44 percent in electricity and 30 percent in the total energy use from 1990 to 2006. The increase in electricity consumption 15,000 GWh from 1995 to 2005 was more than the total hydropower capacity. The electricity consumption increased almost equally in all sectors (industry, homes, and services).

Heating

Energy consumption for heating has increased, as population and average size of homes has grown. As of 2019, 2.8 million Finns and half a million Helsinki residents rely on district heating for their homes.[6] In 2017, 66% of the new homes were connected to district heating and usage kept expanding among old buildings as well.[7]

80% of the energy use of households was spent on heating in 2008–2011.[8][9]

In 2017, traditional fossil fuels (coal, peat and oil) provided most heat, with 39%; gas, 10%; wood and wood residues, 30%; bio and non-bio waste burning and other sources, 12%; energy recovery, 9%: in total, the emissions were 149 g CO2/kWh.[7]

Heat pumps are used to facilitate electrification and energy recovery. In Mäntsälä 80% of the energy is provided by excess heat recovered from the local Yandex data centre.[10] In Helsinki, Helen Oy increases energy efficiency with several heat pumps which recover heat from return water of the district cooling and from warm waste waters before they end up in the Baltic Sea: rock caverns and cisterns under parks are used in the Katri Vala heating and cooling plant under Sörnainen (123 MW in 2021),[11] Vuosaari (13+9.5 MW with 20% sea water)[12] and Esplanadi.[13]

The coal-powered Hanasaari Power Plant will be replaced by 2024 to reduce Helen carbon emissions by 40%. In addition to heat pumps, 25% of its former output is expected to come from a biomass plant in Vuosaari next to the existing heat pumps, while heat storage to stabilise demand will be provided by water cisterns in place of the former oil cisterns under the Mustikkamaa island.[13] In detail, Helen Oy estimates a 11.6 GWh capacity and 120 MW thermal output for its 260,000 m³ water cistern under Mustikkamaa (fully charged or discharged in 4 days at capacity), operating from 2021 to offset days of peak production/demand;[14] while the 300,000 m³ rock caverns 50 m under sea level in Kruunuvuorenranta (near Laajasalo) were designated in 2018 to store heat in summer from warm sea water and release it in winter for district heating.[15]

Transport

Transport uses 30% of all energy, but 40% of the energy is produced with oil. Consumption per kilometre has decreased, but the number of kilometres has grown.

The Kyoto agreement had obligation to restrict the traffic emissions in Finland between 2008 and 2012 in the year 1990 level. According to Ministry report in 2004 the share of public transport in Finland is lower than in most other European countries.[16]

Electricity

In Finland electricity consumption was 83.3 TWh in 2021 compared to 60 TWh in 1990. Consumers in 2021 were industry 49%, residential buildings 29%, service sector buildings 21%.[17]

One of the major electrical grid distribution network operators, Caruna in the south of Finland is majority-owned (80%) by Australian and Dutch holding and property companies.[18]

Energy sources

During first half of 2015 the most important sources were wood (26% of total consumption), oil (23%), nuclear (18%), coal (9%), gas (7%), hydropower (5%) and peat (5%). Wind power covered one per cent of consumption, other sources in total four per cent. The mix of fuel sources is changing, with targets to increase renewables and reduce coal and peat by 2030.

Finland has no native sources of fossil fuels.

Wood

About one quarter of energy production in Finland comes from burning wood. There are no forests grown for fuel. Instead, most firewood is byproduct of other uses of wood. The black liquor (by-product of pulp production) and peel and branches (by-product of sawmill industry) are used by the forest industry itself in creating its own energy by wood burning.[19]

The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC) demands Finland not to burn stumps and sturdy wood that are 15% of wood chips burned according to government energy policy.

Fossil fuels

Petroleum

Finland does not have any petroleum resources of its own, so it relies 100% on petroleum imports. In 2007 oil imports were almost 11 million tonnes in Finland. In 2006, Finnish oil imports came from Russia (64 percent), Norway (11 percent), Denmark (11 percent), and the rest from United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, and Algeria. Petroleum comprises 24 percent of the Finnish energy consumption. Most of the petroleum is used in vehicles, but about 260,000 homes are heated by heating oil.

Neste Oil is the sole oil refiner in Finland, exporting petroleum products such as gasoline and fuel oil to the Baltic countries and North America. Oil imports were valued at 6.5 billion euros and exports 3 billion euros in 2006.[20]

Coal

Coal is imported from Poland. 5.3 million tonnes were used in 2016.

According to Finnwatch (27 September 2010) there are 13 coal power plants in Finland. The companies Pohjolan Voima, Fortum, Helsingin Energia and Rautaruukki consume coal most.[21]

The ILO Agreement 176 (1995) addresses health and safety risks in mines.[22] Finland ratified the agreement in 1997. However, as of 2017 the agreement was not ratified in the following countries that export coal to Finland: Canada, Australia, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and China.[23] At least two companies in Finland reported (2010) using the UN Global Compact initiative criteria in their supplier relationships. No Finnish company reported signing the UN Global Compact Initiative.[21]

Coal, which in 2021 accounted for 4.9% of electricity generation, will be banned from 2029.[17]

Natural gas

Finland has no production facilities or underground storage facilities for gas.[24]

Natural gas has been used in Finland since 1974 after the first oil crisis.[25] Gasum is the Finnish importer and seller of natural gas, which owns and operates Finnish natural gas transmission system. Natural gas vehicles aren't popular in Finland, but natural gas powered busses exist.

On 21 May 2022, the supply of gas from Russia to Finland was cut off because Gasum refused to pay for the gas deliveries in rubles as required by the Russian gas company Gazprom and Moscow. The import of gas to Finland was then switched over to come through the Balticconnector pipeline. The LNG terminal ship Exemplar was also leased for 10 years to cover Finland's gas needs in the event of any shortages.[26] The ship's annual gas capacity is 35 terawatt-hours (TWh).[27]

Peat

Peat and hard coal are the most harmful energy sources for global warming in Finland. According to VTT studies, peat is often the most harmful one.[28]

Peat was the most popular energy source in Finland for new energy investments 2005–2015. The new energy plants in Finland starting 2005–2015 have as energy source: peat 36% and hard coal 11%: combined: 47%. The major carbon dioxide emitting peat plants during 2005–15 were expected to be (CO2 kt): PVO 2700 kt, Jyväskylän Energia 561 kt, Etelä-Pohjanmaan Voima Oy (EPV Energia) 374 kt, Kuopion Energia 186 kt, UPM Kymmene 135 kt and Vapo 69 kt. EPV Energy is partner in TVO nuclear plants and Jyväskylän and Kuopion Energia partners in Fennovoima nuclear plants in Finland.[29]

According to IEA country report the Finnish subsidies for peat undermine the goal to reduce CO2 emissions and counteracts other environmental policies and The European Union emissions trading scheme. IEA recommends to adhere to the timetable to phase out the peat subsidies in 2010. "To encourage sustained production of peat in the face of negative incentives from the European Union's emissions trading scheme for greenhouse gases, Finland has put in place a premium tariff scheme to subsidise peat. The premium tariff is designed to directly counter the effect of the European Union's emissions trading scheme".

Finland plans to reduce peat energy production, which generates 2.6% of Finland's electricity, it will be reduced by 50% by 2030.[30][17]

Renewable energy

Years in which the last three renewable power levels achieved
AchievementYearAchievementYearAchievementYear
2%<19904%20146%2022[5][31]

Renewable energy includes wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy sources (not wood).

Energy companies have no renewable energy obligations in Finland.

The share of electricity generation from renewables in Finland was 38TW (53% of generation) in 2021.[17]

The share of renewable energy in per cent in Finland (including wood) was 28% in 2012 and 25% in 2000. The share of renewable energy 5 years average 2006–2010 was 24.7% and 10 years average 2001–2010 was 26.0%. The EU set target for Finland (38%) by 2020 was reached in 2014.

The share of renewable energy in Finland including hydro:[32][33]

  • 1990 18.2%
  • 1995 21.3%
  • 2000 24.6%
  • 2005 24.8%
  • 2010 27.1%
  • 2015 39.3% (35%)

The total renewable energy generating capacity has increased in Finland during the 2010s (in 2010: 5,170 MW; 2016: 7,067 MW). In 2016 the estimated renewable energy production was over 130 terawatt-hours in Finland.[34]

Wind energy

The first offshore wind farm came on line in 2017.[35]

EU and Finland wind energy capacity (MW)[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]
Country 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998
EU+UK*232,992215,704203,256192,231178,862168,729153,730141,579129,060117,289106,45493,95784,07474,76764,71256,51748,06940,51134,38328,59923,15917,31512,8879,6786,453
Finland5,6783,3282,5862,2842,0412,1131,5391,001627448288199197147142109868282524339383817

Geothermal

In Espoo, St1 and Fortum are testing a geothermal plant. In 2018, water was pumped in the bedrock under Otaniemi through a bore over 6 km deep made with a down-the-hole drill[50] to reach the warmer earth crust, in a process which was allowed to produce micro-hearthquakes up to magnitude 1.9.[51] Once an appropriate position is found to drill an exit bore towards which the water would flow underground, the plant could produce 40 MW of thermal power.[50]

Nuclear power

As of 2008, Finland had four nuclear reactors in two power plants. The first of these came into operation in 1977.[52] In 2000–2014, the four units produced 21.4–22.7 TWh electricity per year, 27–35% of energy production and 24–28% of energy consumption in Finland.[53] They are among the world's most efficient, with average capacity factors[54] of 94% in the 1990s.[55] Work began on an additional reactor in 2005 at Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. The reactor, constructed by Areva, is a European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) with a power output of 1,600 MWe, originally scheduled to start production in 2009.[56] At a total cost of over €8.5 billion,[57] regular electricity production started in April 2023.[58]

Another nuclear power station is under development by the Fennovoima consortium. The Russian nuclear engineering company Rosatom owns 34% of the project. Various Finnish corporations and local governments are also major owners.

The share of electricity produced by nuclear power could double by 2025, reaching around 60%.[59]

Hydropower

Finland has more than 330 hydro power plants, with total capacity of over 3,100 megawatts in 2022.

Hydro accounted for 18% of Finland’s total installed power generation capacity and 22% of total power generation in 2021.[60]

Green Hydrogen

In 2023 it was planned to create three green hydrogen plants in Finland producing 850 tons of green hydrogen daily, 2.2GW per annum.[61]

Environmental effects

Climate change

In 2008, Finland's greenhouse gas emissions totalled 70.1 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2e). A little over three-quarters of them were based on energy or released from the energy sector.[62]

The carbon dioxide emissions by fossil fuels in 2008 originated from 45% oil, 39% coal and 15% natural gas. In the year 2000 the shares were nearly equal: 48% oil and 37% coal. The fossil traffic fuels: motor petrol, diesel and aviation petrol are oil products. The biomass included 47% of black liquor and 52% of wood in 2008. These shares were practically same during 1990–2006. All biomass and agricultural warming gas emissions are free of charge in the EU emissions trading in 2008–2012. According to the official statistics the annual fossil fuel and coal emissions in Finland have large annual variation. E.g. the fossil fuel CO2 emissions dropped 18% in the year 2005 and 13% in 2008, but the annual coal emissions increased 22% in 1996, 22% in 2001 and 58% in 2006.

Particulates

Particulate, the size of which is from a few nanometers to visible dust particles, are considered the most important environmental factor affecting human life. About half of particulates are of anthropogenic origin: traffic, industry and energy production. In Finland, the most important source is burning wood as fuel.[63] Also the NO2 and SO2 gases become particulates in the atmosphere.[64][65]

Energy policy

The objective of RE (2005) of electricity was 35% (1997–2010). However, (2006) the Finnish objective was dropped to 31.5% (1997–2010). According to 'Renewables Global Status Report' Finland aims to increase RE only 2% in 13 years. This objective to add the RE use with 2% in 13 years is among the modest of all the EU countries.[66]

The public energy subsidies in Finland in 2013 were €700 million for fossil energy and €60 million for renewable energy (mainly wood and wind).[67] An increased feed-in tariff was used for new wind power industry in 2011 to 2015.[68]

References

  1. 1 2 "Energy consumption no longer increasing". Environment.fi. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Final consumption". Motiva. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "Peat production drops faster than expected in Finland – but may be on the way back". YLE News. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Peat producers after strategic reserve for the heating season". ERR. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Energy consumption in Finland". 2020.
  6. ↑ "Helen's new service enables improved energy efficiency in properties throughout Finland". 19 March 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Finnish Energy: Carbon emissions from district heat production at a historic low – 2017 record year also in recovered heat". 23 February 2019.
  8. ↑ Hakala, Jonna. "Statistics Finland -". Stat.fi. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  9. ↑ Energy consumption in households 2008–2011, GWh 16 November 2012 Statistics Finland
  10. ↑ "Clean DHC discussion paper" (PDF). September 2018.
  11. ↑ "New heat pump to be built again in Helsinki". 18 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "New, unique heat pump utilising sea water heat to be built in Vuosaari". 4 April 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Helen invests in renewable energy and closes Hanasaari power plant: Helen's Hanasaari power plant will be closed by the end of 2024. Heat production will be replaced with heat recycling with heat pumps, energy storage, and a bioenergy heating plant planned for Vuosaari". 4 March 2019.
  14. ↑ "Gigantic cavern heat storage facility to be implemented in Mustikkamaa in Helsinki". 22 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "The world's first seasonal energy storage facility of its kind is planned for the Kruunuvuorenranta rock caverns". 30 January 2018.
  16. ↑ "Joukkoliikenne nousuun!" –mietintö, Liikenne- ja viestintäministeriö 2004
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Finland 2023 Energy Policy Review" (PDF). Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  18. ↑ Hallitus antaa Carunan verovälttelyn jatkua Finnwatch 26 October 2018
  19. ↑ "Metsähaketta käytettiin 8,7 miljoonaa kuutiometriä vuonna 2013 – uusi ennätys" (PDF). Metla.fi. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  20. ↑ "Öljy- ja biopolttoaineala ry - Öljy- ja biopolttoaineala ry". Oil-gas.fi. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  21. 1 2 Kivihiilta_idasta_ja_etelasta.pdf Kivihiiltä idästä ja etelästä Vastuullisuus energiayhtiöiden ostoissa FinnWatch 3/2010 (27 September 2010) pages 4–12, page 5 Table of coal imports in 2007–2009 (include www references)(in Finnish)
  22. ↑ "C176 - Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176)". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  23. ↑ "Ratifications of C176 - Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176)". International Labour Organization. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  24. ↑ "Finland: Gas Supply Recalibration Moves Forward with Hamina LNG Terminal Launch". 13 October 2022.
  25. ↑ "Öljy- ja biopolttoaineala ry - Öljy- ja biopolttoaineala ry". Oil-gas.fi. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  26. ↑ "Finland replaces Russian gas with Baltic link". Yle. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  27. ↑ "Suomen ja Viron ministerit sopivat LNG-terminaalin sijainnista" (in Finnish). Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  28. ↑ Jyri Seppälä, Kaisu Aapala, Kimmo Silvo and Raimo Heikkilä 2008: Muistio Suomen IPCC-ryhmän avoimesta Turpeen ilmastovaikutusten arviointi -seminaarista. Suomen ympäristökeskus.
  29. ↑ Saastuttaminen kannattaa, selvitys energiainvestoinneista 2005–2010 Greenpeace 2009 pp. 14–15 if two owners, the emission is divided between them undepended of the actual share of the plant
  30. ↑ "EU Cohesion Policy: More than €465 million for a just climate transition in Finland". 21 December 2022.
  31. ↑ "Energy consumption: statistics". 2022.
  32. ↑ "Energy in Sweden 2012. Facts and figures" (PDF). Energimyndigheten.se. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  33. ↑ Timo Määttä (20 October 2017). "Uusiutuva energia Suomessa". Motiva, motiva.fi.
  34. ↑ "New record for renewable energy production in Finland". investinfinland.fi. 14 February 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  35. ↑ "Finland opens its first offshore wind farm". 6 September 2017.
  36. ↑ EWEA Staff (2010). "Cumulative installed capacity per EU Member State 1998 - 2009 (MW)". European Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  37. ↑ EWEA Staff (February 2011). "EWEA Annual Statistics 2010" (PDF). European Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  38. ↑ EWEA Staff (February 2012). "EWEA Annual Statistics 2011" (PDF). European Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  39. ↑ Wind in power: 2012 European statistics February 2013
  40. ↑ VTT (2010)
  41. ↑ 2013
  42. ↑ "Wind in power 2015 European statistics" (PDF). February 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  43. ↑ "Wind in power 2016 European statistics" (PDF). February 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  44. ↑ "Wind in power 2017 European statistics" (PDF). February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  45. ↑ "Wind Energy in Europe in 2018 European" (PDF). February 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  46. ↑ "Wind Energy in Europe in 2019" (PDF). February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  47. ↑ "Wind energy in Europe in 2020 - Trends and statistics". 25 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  48. ↑ "Wind energy in Europe: 2021 Statistics and the outlook for 2022-2026". 24 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  49. ↑ "Wind energy in Europe: 2022 Statistics and the outlook for 2023-2027". 28 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  50. 1 2 "Clean geothermal heat deep from the earth - St1". St1.eu. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  51. ↑ "Stimulation stage of St1's geothermal project successfully completed". St1.eu. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  52. ↑ "Country profiles: Finland". Nea.fr. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  53. ↑ "Sähkön hankinta energialähteittäin 1990–2014". Statistics Finland.
  54. ↑ The capacity factor is the energy produced in a year by a power plant as a percentage of the energy it would have produced had it been operating at full capacity for the entire year.
  55. ↑ "Nuclear Energy in Finland - Finnish Nuclear Power - World Nuclear Association". World-nuclear.org. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  56. ↑ "Nuclear Power in Finland". World Nuclear Association. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  57. ↑ "Finland cancels Olkiluoto 4 nuclear reactor - is the EPR finished?".
  58. ↑ "Regular electricity production has started at Olkiluoto 3 EPR". TVO. 16 April 2023.
  59. ↑ "Energy Policies of IEA Countries, Statistics: Finland 2013". Oecd-ilibrary.org. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  60. ↑ "Hydropower capacity in Finland and major projects". 20 June 2023.
  61. ↑ "Plug Power has announced exciting plans to invest $6bn in developing three green hydrogen production plants in Finland". 31 May 2023.
  62. ↑ "Emissions in 2008". Climate Guide. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  63. ↑ Pienhiukkaset tunkeutuvat hengitysteihin - vuosittain jopa 1300 ennenaikaista kuolemaa Suomessa Savon Sanomat
  64. ↑ "ilmanlaatu.fi - Pienhiukkaset PM2.5". Ilmanlaatu.fi. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  65. ↑ "Ilman epäpuhtauksien päästöt Suomessa - ymparisto.fi". Ymparisto.fi. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  66. ↑ 2005: Record year for investments in renewable energy REN21 Archived 18 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine"Renewables Global Status Report 2006 Update", REN21. 2006. (Paris: REN21 Secretariat and Washington, DC:Worldwatch Institute).
  67. ↑ Simo sai jättimäiset tuulivoimalat HS 3.4.2014 A10
  68. ↑ Takuuhintajärjestelmä Suomessa Archived 10 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine Tuulivoimayhdistys
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Energy in Finland.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.