Electricity, October 2009

The high consumption of electricity excluding power intensive manufacturing can be viewed in conjunction with low average temperatures in October. The average temperature in Norway was 1.8 degrees below normal and 2.2 degrees lower compared with the same month last year. Households, services and manufacturing other than the power-intensive accounted for the majority of the consumption.

So far this year consumption amounts to 65 074 GWh. This is 0.1 per cent higher compared with the corresponding period last year

Continued low consumption of electricity in power intensive manufacturing

The electricity consumption in power intensive manufacturing amounted to 2 285 GWh in October, 18.5 per cent lower than in the corresponding month in 2008. The decrease in electricity consumption is mostly due to lower demand from abroad caused by the financial crisis. Compared with the preceding month, there was a 5.9 per cent increase in electricity consumption in power intensive manufacturing.

High electricity production

The production of electricity amounted to a record high 12 431 GWh in October. This is a 4.8 per cent increase compared with the same month last year.

The reservoir level dropped to 82.6 per cent in week 44. This is 5.6 percentage points below the median level for this week.

Considerable net export of power

Norway’s imports of electricity came to 206 GWh in October, while exports totalled 1 879 GWh. This gave net exports of 1 673 GWh. So far this year Norway has a net export of 7 232 GWh, down 38 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2008.

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