Weekly Bulletin issue no. 45, 1996

Record high power imports in September

Electricity production in Norway totalled 6,169 GWh in September. This is a decline of 30 per cent compared to the same month last year. Imports totalled 1,573 GWh, the highest level ever. Imports accounted for all of 21 per cent of September's gross consumption of 7,639 GWh.

Production was reduced in most counties in September compared to the same month last year. In counties with high power production, i.e. over 10,000 GWh a year, the decline was the largest in Telemark, Hordaland, and Sogn og Fjordane. The decline in these counties was respectively 53, 46 and 23 per cent, and is directly connected with the low filling percentage in the reservoirs. As the result of unusually low precipitation in September too, the charge ratio, which normally rises in this month, dropped slightly. So far this year, production has totalled 78,271 GWh, down 10 per cent from the corresponding period last year.

In order to cover the demand for power, imports have increased substantially. Imports so far this year have totalled 8,453 GWh. This is over four times higher than in the period January-September last year.

Low consumption

Consumption of electricity in September was 7,639 GWh, and is the lowest for this month since 1988. Since September last year consumption has dropped by about seven per cent. In power intensive industries consumption went down three per cent. The decline was the largest in consumption for producing iron, steel and ferroalloys, which was reduced by 11 per cent from the same month last year. So far this year, consumption has totalled 82,903 GWh, about the same as was consumed in the same period last year.

Increased filling percentage

Reservoir charge ratios have climbed a little in the past few weeks in the wake of increased amounts of precipitation. In Week 44 it was 63.4 per cent, 25 per cent under the normal filling percentage.

New Statistics

Monthly electricity statistics, September 1996.
Statistics are compiled in cooperation with the Norwegian Power Grid Company and the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Administration, and are published monthly in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. They are also available in the Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Monthly Bulletin of Statistics. More information: Ann Christin Bøeng, tel. +47 21 09 47 43, e-mail: abg@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 45, 1996