There is a low risk of electricity shortages in Finland this winter, national grid operator Fingrid announced on Thursday.
The situation is better than last winter, the firm said in a press release, as domestic electricity production has increased and the availability of power from neighbouring countries has also improved.
Due to electricity distribution disruptions prompted by the repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, there were concerns in Finland about a lack of energy supply having the potential to prompt rolling blackouts.
However, due to significant energy savings by consumers — efforts likely prompted by ballooning prices — this did not happen.
“Last winter, a significant reduction in the use of electricity during periods of peak consumption also helped to ensure electricity supplies,” Tuomas Rauhala, Fingrid unit manager, said in the release.
He added that similar power saving efforts by customers will continue to be important.
Fingrid also noted that moderate power consumption has continued even after the relatively high electricity prices consumers faced last autumn and winter.
According to Fingrid estimates, Finland’s electricity consumption on a very cold and calm winter day will likely rise to around 14,300 megawatts. During such a day, domestic production will be able to cover around 12,800 megawatts, while the remainder can be imported from Sweden and Estonia.
However, disruptions in electricity production or transmission could pose weakened sufficiency in peak consumption situations, Fingrid noted.
However, production and transmission links are typically at good levels during winter, as maintenance and construction related disruptions primarily occur outside the winter period.
In terms of domestically produced electricity, the most significant change compared to last year is the addition of Finland’s new nuclear power plant (Olkiluoto 3) and more wind power capacity, according to Fingrid.
Source: Yle
