According to data published on Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics, Agerpres reports, Romania’s national electricity consumption fell by 6.7% in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2022 and amounted to 36.529 billion kWh.

Electricity consumption in the economy amounted to 27.775 billion kWh, 5.2% less, and the population used 10.9% less electricity, respectively 8.448 billion kWh.

At the same time, a decrease of 22.7% was recorded in public lighting, to 305.9 million kWh, and actual technological consumption in networks and stations amounted to 3.698 billion kWh, decreasing by 3% (114.5 million kWh).

The total production of electricity in the first nine months of the current year increased by 3.1% and amounted to 42.922 billion kWh. During the analyzed period, the amount produced at hydropower plants increased the most – by 39.6% compared to the same period in 2022, followed by production at nuclear power plants (+2.8%) and production of renewable energy from wind turbines – by 2.5%. %.

On the other hand, a decrease in production was recorded at photovoltaic power plants by 7.6%, and at traditional thermal power plants by 20.3%.

According to INS data, electricity imports in the first nine months of this year fell by 8.1% to 5.913 billion kWh, while exports rose by 68.4% to 8.607 billion kWh.

In the analyzed period, primary energy resources decreased by 1.9%, and electricity resources increased by 1.6% compared to the corresponding period of 2022.

The main primary energy resources from January 1 to September 30, 2023 amounted to 24.72 million tons of oil equivalent (oil equivalent), which is 466.3 thousand tons less than in the same period last year.

As for natural gas, production increased by 66% to 5.59 million tons, while imports decreased by 35.8% to 1.52 million tons.