Energy 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.
Consumption
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). The share of electricity generated from renewable energy in Finland has been stable from 1998 to 2005: 11 to 12 percent plus yearly changing hydropower, together around 24 to 27 percent. The RE of total energy has been 24 percent (1998 to 2005). The forest industry black liquor and forest industry wood burning were 57 percent (1990) and 67 percent (2005) of the RE of total energy.[1] The rest is mainly water power. The most of available hydropower for energy is already in use. The forest industry uses 30 percent of all electricity in Finland (1990-2005). Its process wastes, wood residues and black liquor, gave 7000-8000 GWh RE electricity in 2005. In the year 2005 this and electricity consumption fell 10 % compared to 2004 based on the long forest industry strike.[2] Finland consumed (2005) 17.3 MWh electricity per capita compared to Germany 7.5 MWh per capita. This number includes the power losses of the distribution.
Electricity in Finland
In 2009 the consumption of energy sources in electricity generation by mode of production was: 28 % nuclear power, 16 % hydro power, 13% coal, 11 % natural gas, 5 % peat and 10 % wood fuels and other renewables. Nettoimport of electricity in 2009 was 15 %.[3]
Production
Fossil fuels
Petroleum
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 Finnish energy consumption. Most of 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 Baltic countries and North America. Oil imports were valued at 6.5 billion euros and exports 3 billion euros in 2006.[4]
Natural gas
In 2006 natural gas comprised 11 percent of Finnish energy consumption, while the consumption was 4.52 billion metric tonnes (source needed, not valid figure). All natural gas is imported from Russia. Natural gas has been used since 1974 after the first oil crisis.[5] 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.
Coal
Coal is imported from Russia and Poland. 5.6 million tonnes were used in 2007.
Nuclear power
As of 2008, Finland's nuclear power program has four nuclear reactors in two power plants. The first of these came into operation in 1977. In 2007 they provided 28.4% of Finland's electricity.[6] They are among the world's most efficient, with average capacity factors[7] of 94% in the 1990s.[8] A fifth nuclear reactor is under construction, scheduled to go online in 2012.
Renewable energy
Renewable energy of electricity (2005):
- Water, 60 percent
- Forest industry black liquor, 22 percent
- Other wood residues, 16 percent
- Wind power, 0.2 percent
- Other, 1 percent
The renewable energy objectives set by the European Union are 22 percent renewable source electricity and 12 percent renewable of primary energy by 2010 under the European Union directive 2003/30/EC (Directive on the Promotion of the use of biofuels and other renewable fuels for transport) and white paper). This includes the objectives of 40 GW wind power, 3 GW photovoltaics and 5.75 percent biofuels by 2010.
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.[9]
Carbon emissions
The Finnish CO2 emissions grew 14.5 % (1990:2004), when EU average was - 0.6 %.[10] According to the Finnish RE organisations and Finnish public the potential of RE increase in Finland is huge.
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 liquer 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.
According to the energy statistics the major changing factors for the annual emission changes were the consumption of coal and peat. In 2006 the hard coal increase was 92 % subject to industry (including energy producing industry) separate electricity generation from hard coal. At the same time the controversial peat consumption was increased. The district heating used 42 % of hard coal in average 1990-2006, but its annual variation was small compared to the industry separate electricity generation.[11]
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Fuels[12] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mil. t CO2 | % of fossil fuels total | |||||
| Year | Biomass | Fossil | Coal | Oil | N. gas | Traffic |
| 1990 | 19.3 | 53.0 | 38 | 31 | 9 | 22 |
| 2000 | 29.4 | 53.1 | 37 | 26 | 15 | 22 |
| 2004 | 32.9 | 64.3 | 45 | 21 | 14 | 20 |
| 2005 | 30.7 | 52.8 | 35 | 25 | 16 | 24 |
| 2006 | 34.5 | 64.1 | 45 | 20 | 14 | 20 |
| 2007 | 33.0 | 61.8 | 45 | 21 | 13 | 21 |
| 2008 | 33.1 | 53.7 | 39 | 22 | 15 | 24 |
| Coal: Hard coal, other coal and peat Other coal: coke, blast furnace gas, coke oven gas, coal tar and other non specified coal | ||||||
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Fuels: Coal[12] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mil. t CO2 | % of fossil total | ||||||
| Fossil | Hard coal | Other coal | Peat | Coal total | Peat | Coal total | |
| 1990 | 53.0 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 20.1 | 10.6 | 37.9 |
| 2000 | 53.1 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 19.4 | 12.2 | 36.5 |
| 2004 | 64.3 | 16 | 4 | 9 | 28.7 | 14.5 | 44.6 |
| 2005 | 52.8 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 18.3 | 13.6 | 34.7 |
| 2006 | 64.1 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 28.9 | 15.3 | 45.1 |
| 2007 | 61.8 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 27.4 | 17.3 | 44.3 |
| 2008 | 53.7 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 20.7 | 15.8 | 38.5 |
| Other coal: coke, blast furnace gas, coke oven gas, coal tar and other non specified coal | |||||||
References
- ^ Energy statistics 2006, Finnish statistical center, Tilastokeskus, energiatilasto, Vuosikirja 2006.
- ^ Greenhouse gas emissions in Finland 1990-2005 National Inventory Report to the UNFCCC 15.4.2007, Finnish statistics
- ^ Preliminary Energy Statistics 2009 Finnish statistical center 24.3.2010, Table 3.3.1. Consumption of energy sources in electricity generation by mode of production 2009 (preliminary information)
- ^ http://www.oil-gas.fi/index.php?m=4&id=203
- ^ http://www.oil-gas.fi/index.php?m=4&id=210
- ^ Nuclear Energy Agency Country Profiles - Finland
- ^ 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.
- ^ Nuclear Energy in Finland: WNA
- ^ 2005: Record year for investments in renewable energy REN21“Renewables Global Status Report 2006 Update”, REN21. 2006. (Paris: REN21 Secretariat and Washington, DC:Worldwatch Institute).
- ^ Highlights from Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Data for 1990-2004 United Nations Convention on Climate Change
- ^ Energy Statistics 2007: Table 2.4.1 Consumption of Hard Coal
- ^ a b Energy Statistics Yearbook 2009, Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Fuels Table 11.3.1, Statistics Finland 2010