In the first two months of 2021, total electricity generation in Russia increased by 4.1% year-on-year to 205.9 billion kWh, according to the recent issue of AK&M Information Agency's "RUSSIAN INDUSTRIES: PRODUCTION, FINANCE, SECURITIES. Electric Power Industry" monthly paper (No. 1414) dated March 17, 2021.
Excluding the leap year 2020 effect (February 29), the 2-month electricity output across Russia increased by 5.8% year-on-year. Electricity consumption in Russia increased by 3.1% to 201.4 billion kWh. Excluding the leap year 2020 effect, 2-month consumption across Russia as a whole increased by 4.9%. In February alone, Russia generated 98.8 billion kWh of electricity (+3.3% year-on-year, +6.9% year-on-year adjusted for the calendar factor). Electricity consumption in Russia reached 95.2 billion kWh in February growing by 2.3% YoY (+5.7% YoY adjusted for the calendar factor).
The countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) produced 10,348.6 TWh of electricity in 2020 (-2.7% YoY). Non-renewable energy sources contributed most to the production decline in 2020 (-6.8% yoy), while generation from renewable energy sources (RES) increased by 7.5% YoY. Overall, RES accounted for 31.6% of the total electricity generation in the OECD countries in 2020.
Electricity exports from Russia increased by 43.3% year-on-year to 2.237 billion kWh in January 2021, according to data provided by Russia's Federal Customs Service. Electricity imports for the same period increased by 16.8% YoY while the cost of imports dropped by 15.8%. According to current data of the Central Dispatching Department of the Fuel and Energy Complex, electricity exports from Russia in February 2021 increased by 2.3 times YoY to 2.1 billion kWh. Electricity exports in January-February 2021 increased by almost 90% year-on-year to reach 4.5 billion kWh.
To increase the share of nuclear power in Russia's energy balance to 25% by 2045, 24 nuclear power units will need to be commissioned, including construction in new regions, according to preliminary estimates announced by Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom State Corporation, at this year's first Information Day. Today, 37 power units with a total installed capacity of about 29.4 GW are in operation at 11 operating nuclear power plants (NPP) in Russia, including one floating nuclear thermal power plant.
In February-March 2021, the share of energy generation from renewable energy sources in total generation was 0.39-0.52% in the European part of Russia, 0.06-0.15% in Siberia, according to data provided by NP Market Council Association. The share of renewable energy generation in Russia as a whole was 0.28% in January 2021 (0.15% in January 2020). According to Russia's Federal Statistics Service, the wind energy output increased many times since April 2020; in January, it almost reached the peak solar power generation levels seen in August 2020.
An in-depth segment review is provided in issue 1414 of the "RUSSIAN INDUSTRIES: PRODUCTION, FINANCE, SECURITIES. Electric Power Industry" monthly paper dated March 17, 2021.
