INS: Energy industrial consumption down 9.2 percent in Q1

Romania's energy industrial consumption decreased by 9.2 percent in the first trimester of the year as compared to the same period of last year, namely 2.9 billion kWh, according to data released on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). 

"The final electric energy consumption in the first trimester of 2018 was over 14.678 billion kWh, bigger by 2.7 percent as opposed to the first trimester of 2017. Public lighting also recorded a decrease of 7 percent, and the population's consumption dropped by 9.2 percent," the document shows. 

INS says that in the first trimester of 2018 primary energy resources went up by 5.4 percent, and the electric energy ones by 0.5 percent as opposed to the first trimester of 2017. 

"The main energy resources in the first trimester of 2018 amounted to 8.932 billion tons of oil equivalent (toe), going up by 455.300 million toe, as opposed to the first trimester of 2017. Internal production totaled 5.403 million toe, down by 31,700 toe, from the same period of last year, and imports stood at 3.529 million toe. In the first trimester of the year, electric energy resources were 18.559 billion kWh, up 94.4 million kWh, as opposed to the first trimester of 2017," according to the source. 

The power plants production was of over 8.241 billion kWh, down 84.9 million kWh (-1 pct). Hydro-power plants' production was of 4.440 billion kWh, up 668 million kWh (+17.7 pct) and the nuclear power plants produced 2.950 billion kWh, up 53 million kWh (-1.8 pct). 

The wind power output in the first trimester of 2018 was of 2.047 billion kWh, slipping by 233.1 million kWh, from the same period of last year, and solar energy produced in photovoltaic installations, during this period, was of 249 million kWh, down 84.1 million kWh, as opposed to the first trimester of last year. The electricity export stood at 1.831 billion kWh, on the decrease by 345.3 million kWh," INS informs. 

The own technological consumption in networks and plants was 2.049 billion kWh, higher by 56.7 million kWh.