Mild year 2014 reduced energy usage
The total electricity consumption in Helsinki in 2014 was 4,520 GWh, which is 0.5 per cent less than in 2013.
. In the Helen Sähköverkko Oy distribution area, electricity usage peaked in the afternoon of Friday 14 January 2014, when electricity consumption in one hour was 817 MWh.
With regard to the security of electricity supply, a very good result was attained in Helsinki for the third year running: converted to an average outage frequency for a Helsinki electricity consumer, a single half-hour outage once every twelve years.
Share of cogeneration high
Helsingin Energia’s total electricity procurement fell from the previous year by about 3 per cent, standing at 7,010 GWh. 67 per cent of the power was cogenerated in power plants in the Helsinki area. The share of emission-free forms of production of the total procurement increased. Hydropower, nuclear power and wind power accounted for about 33 per cent of the total procurement. The share of hydropower rose to 11 per cent in 2014.
The milder than average year 2014 brought a reduction in the volume of district heat production. It totalled about 6,900 GWh, which is about one per cent lower than the year before. Of the district heat, 91 per cent was produced by energy-efficient cogeneration at the Hanasaari, Salmisaari and Vuosaari power plants and the Katri Vala Heating and Cooling Plant.
The production of district cooling, utilising sea water, the heat content of waste water and cogenerated heat, continued to grow in 2014. District cooling production was 130 GWh, which is 12 per cent more than the year before.
Helsinki’s carbon dioxide emissions reduced
The carbon dioxide emissions from Helsinki’s energy production were about 3.2 million tonnes, and those of power assets from outside Helsinki and purchased electricity were less than 0.1 million tonnes. Helsinki’s carbon dioxide emissions fell by two per cent from the previous year, and the five-year average continued its downward trend. In the second half of 2014, the Salmisaari B power plant prepared for the continuous use of biofuel, pellets.
In the current millennium, carbon dioxide emissions have shown annual variations depending on factors such as the hydropower situation in the Nordic countries and the weather conditions, but the trend has been evenly downward since the last decade. In the comparison year 1990, the carbon dioxide emissions from the energy production in the Helsinki area stood at about 3.4 million tonnes. Energy production is now more than 50% higher, in other words the specific carbon dioxide emissions have fallen. In 1990 the specific carbon dioxide emissions were 400 gCO2/kWh, whereas in 2014 they were about 240 gCO2/kWh.
The above figures are based on preliminary calculations. A more detailed report on Helsingin Energia’s operation in 2014 will be published in February with the 2014 financial statement. As from 1.1.2015, we are operating under our new name Helen Ltd.