The largest contribution to Enefit Green's electricity output was made by wind power plants in Estonia and Lithuania, generating a total of 1.14 TWh of electricity, which is 11% more than in 2019. The company's cogeneration plants in Estonia and Latvia produced 185 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, standing for 11% more than a year earlier.
Aavo Kärmas, CEO of Enefit Green, pointed out better wind conditions and increased reliability of power plants as the reason behind good production results. "Last year, the average wind speed in our wind farms was 6.9 meters per second, to compare, the same figure in 2019 was 6.6 meters per second - there is a significant difference. In order to "catch" this wind, the wind turbines must be ready for operation at the right time, and in 2020, the reliability of our wind farms was very good. The main effect in terms of wind turbine reliability has been given by the collection and analysis of digital production data over the years, which enables faster response to failures and shortening the duration of interruptions,” Kärmas explained. He added that Enefit Green has an impressive wind farm development portfolio from Finland to Lithuania, and the company's strategy envisages that the largest production growth in the coming years will come from wind farms.
The company increased its solar electricity production almost three-fold during the year - Enefit Green's solar power plants in Estonia and Poland generated more than 25 GWh of electricity in total. "In Poland, our solar electricity output more than quadrupled. The Polish market has great potential from the investor's point of view, as the state often holds renewable energy auctions and the price of electricity is undoubtedly the highest among our home markets. We are definitely interested in expanding our activities in the field of solar electricity in Poland," Kärmas said.
In addition to the Valka CHP plant in Latvia, Enefit Green owns the Broceni pellet plant, which produced a record amount of pellets from low-quality wood last year - 161,504 tons. This amount significantly exceeds the design capacity of the plant. Most of the output is exported from Latvia.
The unique renewable energy solution on the island of Ruhnu, consisting of a solar park, a wind turbine, a storage device and a backup generator, provided the island with 570 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity in 2020. Whereas, more than half of the electricity needed on the island was produced from renewable sources.
Enefit Green also owns a hydroelectric power plant in Keila-Joa, where annual electricity production increased by 36% to 802 MWh due to greater quantities of water.
Enefit Green produced 544 GWh of heat in 2020, which is 5% less than in 2019. The main reason for the decrease in production was the reduced heat demand due to last year’s warmer weather.
Enefit Green has an important role in achieving Eesti Energia's strategic goal, envisaging that in 2024, 43% of the Group's energy production will come from renewable sources.
Enefit Green is a renewable energy company that belongs to the group of Eesti Energia, owning 20 wind farms in Estonia and Lithuania; four cogeneration plants in Iru, Paide, Valka and Broceni; a hydroelectric power plant in Keila-Joa; solar power plants in Estonia and Poland; and a pellet plant in Latvia. The company with its diverse portfolio is one of the largest renewable energy producers in the region as well as the largest wind energy producer in the Baltic States.