HELSINKI, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The consumption of hard coal in Finland decreased by 11 percent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 compared to the previous year after increasing in the past two years, according to a press release published by Statistics Finland on Tuesday.
In Q1, the consumption of hard coal as fuel in the generation of electricity and heat and in manufacturing totaled 620,000 tonnes, corresponding to 15.6 petajoules in energy content.
The country's hard coal consumption jumped by 19 percent and 10 percent, respectively, in 2021 and 2022.
The statistical agency explained that demand for hard coal is mainly influenced by the price ratios of the fuel and electricity markets and their changes, especially during the energy crisis. This is why coal consumption rose sharply in the previous two years.
However, the agency also noted that stocks of hard coal amounted to 1,297 thousand tonnes at the end of March this year, which was 64 percent more than one year earlier.
According to Statistics Finland, a long-term downward trend can be observed as the number of plants using coal has continuously decreased and renewable energy has replaced the use of fossil fuels. The reduction in coal consumption will also be affected by the ban on using coal as an energy source, which will come into effect in 2029, it added. ■