Electricity production in thermal power plants in Southeast Europe increased in the second week of January in all markets, due to higher demand for electricity and higher import prices of electricity compared to the first week of this year. Production in thermal power plants increased moderately, by about 4 percent, to 8.6 TWh.
Production in lignite-fired thermal power plants in Greece fell by about 3 percent, to 108 GWh, while production in gas-fired power plants increased by 11 percent, to 253 GWh.
Bulgaria, the leading exporter of electricity in the region, recorded a 20 percent increase in production in coal-fired power plants, while production in gas-fired power plants decreased by nearly 6 percent.
Total hydropower production increased in the first week of January, due to heavy rainfall in the first half of the week. Hydropower production increased by more than 9 percent on average, to 1.9 TWh.
Significant hydropower production was recorded in all markets in the region, except in Romania, which recorded a drop in production by about 5 percent, to 272 GWh.
Croatia and Greece achieved the highest growth in production by 43 and 39 percent, respectively, to 172 GWh and 24 GWh compared to the previous week. Bulgaria records an increase in hydropower production by 6 percent.
Production from variable renewable energy sources in Southeast Europe increased in the same period by 102 percent, to 2.25 TWh, mainly thanks to higher wind production, which in total increased by 159 percent compared to the previous week, to 1.88 TWh.
Solar energy production fell moderately, by about 4 percent, to 371 GWh. Bulgaria and Romania recorded the biggest drop in solar production, by 70 and 64 percent, respectively, compared to the previous week.
Greece significantly increased production from variable renewable sources, by 34 percent, to 252 GWh.
