Electricity, April 2010

The electricity consumption excluding power intensive manufacturing amounted to 6 986 GWh in April; an increase of 8.9 per cent compared with the corresponding month last year. The high consumption of electricity can be viewed in conjunction with lower average temperatures in April. The average temperature in Norway was 1.4 per cent lower compared with the same month last year. So far this year the consumption amounts to 37 025 GWh; 9.9 per cent higher compared to the same period last year.

Households, services and manufacturing other than the power-intensive accounted for the majority of the consumption.

Continued low consumption of electricity in power intensive manufacturing

The electricity consumption in power intensive manufacturing came to 2 369 GWh in April, 7.1 per cent higher compared with corresponding month in 2009. Nevertheless, consumption was 15 per cent lower than the monthly average in the 2006-2008 period.

Lower electricity production

The production of electricity amounted to 8 658 GWh in April; 9.6 per cent lower compared with the same month last year. From January to April production totalled 47 261 GWh; 2.1 per cent less than in the same period in 2009.

According to NVE, the reservoir level was 23.4 per cent at the end of week 17. This is 11.2 percentage points below the median level.

High net import of power

Norway’s exports of electricity came to 119 GWh in April, while imports totalled 1 657 GWh. This gave net imports of 1 538 GWh. So far this year net imports amount to 3 510 GWh.

Tables:

• Table 1 Electricity balance. Monthly. GWh
• Table 2 Production of electricity, on county level. GWh.
• Table 3 Consumption excluding power-intensive manufacturing, seasonal and non-seasonal growth from previous month. Per Cent