Energy consumption up in Q3 2013

Observed energy consumption increased by 3.2% in Q3 2013 compared with the year before. Adjusted for fuel consumption in connection with foreign trade in electricity, energy consumption fell by 0.2%, while primary production of energy fell by 10.1%.

In the first three quarters of 2013, observed energy consumption increased by 3.6% relative to the first three quarters of 2012. This is attributable to a drop in oil consumption of 0.8% and an increase in natural gas and coal consumption of 0.9% and 43.0%, respectively. At the same time, in the first nine months of 2013, renewable energy consumption increased by 1.4% relative to the year before. This is due in particular to an increase in the consumption of biomass at large-scale plants.

The increase in coal consumption is related to the fact that net imports of electricity were 64.4% lower in the first three quarters of 2013 than in 2012 when large net imports of electricity reduced the demand for fuel for electricity production. In the first three quarters of 2013, coal consumption was therefore similar to the level in the same period in 2011. With regard to net imports of electricity, 2011 is a more comparable year than 2012 (see figure 2).

Energy consumption adjusted for net imports of electricity increased by 0.7% in the first three quarters of 2013 compared with the same period last year. This is because the first three quarters of 2013 were colder than the same period last year.

Primary energy production dropped by 10.1% in Q3 2013 compared with the same period the year before.  This is primarily due to a drop in natural gas and crude oil production of 14.4% and 8.1%, respectively. The first three quarters of 2013 saw a drop of 11.6% for primary energy production, reflected in a drop of 12.0% for crude oil and a drop of 20.5% for natural gas. Furthermore, renewable energy production increased by 2.3%, which is attributable in particular to an increase in the production of biomass consumed at large-scale plants.

Figure 1: Energy production and consumption 1-3 Quarter 2012 and 2013

Unit TJProductionConsumptionObservedAdjusted for net imports of electricity1. – 3. Quarter 2013533.917580.393589.3351. – 3. Quarter 2012604.089560.329585.444    1. Quarter 2013189.696217.880213.0541. Quarter 2012209.427209.036207.702    2. Quarter 2013175.419185.314189.2292. Quarter 2012206.808179.584190.374    3. Quarter 2013168.801177.199187.0523. Quarter 2012187.854171.708

187.368

Figure 2: Observed total energy consumption in Denmark by energy product, PJ

Monthly Energy Statistics

Ali A. Zarnaghi
Fuldmægtig
Center for Klima og Energiøkonomi
Tlf.: 33 92 68 40
aaz@ens.dk