Electricity generation by sustainable energy sources increased in March (calendar weeks 9 to 13) compared to the previous months. Around 73 percent of Austria's electricity consumption could be covered by renewables. With a total consumption of 5,971 gigawatt hours (GWh) in calendar weeks 9 to 13, this amounts to around 4,372 GWh. In calendar week 13, it was even possible to cover around 88 percent of the domestic electricity demand with sustainable energy.
At 984 GWh, production from wind power increased by 38 percent compared to last year and hydroelectric power plants (3,036 GWh) produced 21 percent more than in the previous year. This means that production of hydropower is slightly above the average value for the years 2017-2021 (3,007 GWh).
According to Gerhard Christiner, CTO of APG, this is a typical seasonal development: “Especially in spring and summer, when it gets warmer, we can also observe an increasing production of renewables - keyword meltwater - and recognize the importance of the expansion of wind power facilities.”
Austria saves approximately 6% electricity
Austria's electricity demand totaled about 5,971 GWh in March, based on initial, preliminary analyses, which is a reduction of 5.8 percent compared to the average of the years 2017 – 2021 and was caused, on the one hand, by the exceptionally warm temperatures and, on the other hand, by electricity saving measures of consumers.
According to Gerhard Christiner, this trend must continue: “5.8 percent reduction is a positive trend, but due to the warm temperatures it is not particularly meaningful. In any case, CO2 has been reduced, which is good. The savings also reduced overall system costs and thus made a significant contribution to ensuring system reliability. The trend to reduce CO2 must be pushed further: the sustainable expansion of power grids, renewable production, and storage possibilities is still of utmost importance.”
Tips for saving electricity can be found at apg.at/stromspartipps or on the Climate Ministry's mission11.at page. With the APG Powermonitor, it is possible for the Austrian population to see the most effective electricity saving hours and thus make an active contribution to CO2 reduction and system security. The APG Powermonitor can be found at: www.apg.at/powermonitor.
Austria able to export electricity on five days
In March, less electricity had to be imported due to the good production from wind power, but Austria remains predominantly an electricity importing country. The import balance (706 GWh) is 39 percent lower than in March 2022 (1,159 GWh). Compared to the previous month (817 GWh), about 14 percent less electricity had to be imported. On five days in March, it was even possible to export electricity (on the balance sheet) due to the exceptionally good production from renewable energies.
High grid feed-in due to wind strongholds in the east of the country
The trans-regional electricity grid of APG also enables the exchange of energy within the country. Electricity surpluses in the individual provinces can thus be distributed throughout Austria to compensate deficits.
Due to the weather conditions in March and the resulting good electricity generation from wind power, the country's wind strongholds - Lower Austria and Burgenland - were able to generate a surplus of energy and make it available throughout Austria via the APG grid.
Lower Austria was able to feed 243 GWh into the trans-regional grid, Burgenland 217 GWh. The "industrial province" of Styria had to draw the most electricity from the grid, with 269 GWh, along with Vienna (197 GWh).
No security of supply without grid reserves
In order to be able to operate the power grid reliably, APG has to intervene in the schedules of power plants or correct the planned use of power plants. To do this, among other things, reserve power plants (‘grid reserve plants’) are ramped up to balance grid loads.
These measures are also called redispatching. "Such interventions have already been necessary on 53 days this year up to the end of March. At the same time, redispatching causes costs that ultimately have to be borne by the electricity customers. In March alone, the costs for this amounted to around 8 million euros," explains Thomas Karall, CFO of APG. “To reduce the the number of interventions and thus the costs incurred by consumers as a result of redispatch measures, a high-performance power grid with sufficient capacities is necessary. The immediate expansion of the grid infrastructure is therefore a top priority.”
The current developments in electricity and energy prices as well as the geopolitical developments in Ukraine show how important a rapid and secure transformation to a sustainable energy system is. This requires immediate overall system planning, adequate capacities in the areas of grids, storage, production and comprehensive digitalization to exploit the flexibilities of all players in the system. All of this must be done immediately. Accelerating and simplifying approval procedures are key levers in this regard. With its investment program of around 3.5 billion euros for the expansion of the electricity infrastructure, APG is ensuring that Austria's transmission grid is made fit for the success of the energy transition and sustainable security of supply for all Austrians.
APG continually keeps track of the development of the domestic electricity industry and regularly publishes diagrams at www.apg.at/infografiken regarding the topics: energy exchange, energy consumption in Austria, energy consumption in Europe, import/export, electricity prices, etc.
About Austrian Power Grid (APG)
As independent transmission system operator Austrian Power Grid (APG) is in charge of ensuring the security of electricity supply in Austria. With our high-performance and digital electricity infrastructure and the use of state-of-the-art technologies we integrate renewable energies, we are the platform for the electricity market, and we provide access to reasonably priced electricity for Austria’s consumers and thus create the basis for Austria as supply-secure industrial and business location and place to live. The APG grid totals a length of about 3,400 km and is operated, maintained and continuously adapted to the increasing challenges of the electrification of businesses, industry and society by a team of approximately 733 specialists. Also in 2022 Austria had a security of supply of 99.99 percent and thus ranks among the top countries worldwide. Our investments of 490 million euros in 2023 (2022: 370 million euros) are a motor for the Austrian economy and a crucial factor in reaching Austria’s climate and energy targets. Until 2032 APG will invest a total of approximately 3.5 billion euros in grid expansion and renovation projects, which amounts to approximately 19 percent of the total of 18 billion euros which the energy industry will invest in the grid infrastructure over the next ten years.
Press contact
Christoph Schuh
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