OECD ELECTRICITY DOWN BY 3.3%

IEA - 16 Dec 2020 - MONTHLY ELECTRICITY STATISTICS September 2020

HIGHLIGHTS

OECD 

In September 2020, total net electricity production in the OECD was 841.0 TWh, down by 3.2% compared to September 2019 and down by 10.4% compared to August 2020. In the first three quarters of 2020, total electricity production was 7,731.5 TWh, down by 3.3% compared to the same period in 2019.

Renewable electricity production was 244.0 TWh in September 2020, up by 7.2% compared to September 2019 and down 5.7% compared to August 2020. During the first three quarters of 2020, renewables accounted for 31.4% of total electricity produced, with levels increasing up by 7.4% compared to the same period in 2019. Wind power was the main driver of this increase with a total output of 657.9 TWh, up by 67.1 TWh compared to the first three quarters of 2019.

Non-renewable production was 597.0 TWh in September 2020, down by 6.9% compared to September 2019 and 12.2% compared to August 2020. In the first three quarters of 2020, non-renewable electricity production decreased by 7.5% compared to the same period last year. Lower coal production was the main reason for this decrease. Coal power output was 1,470.5 TWh, down by 307.3 TWh or 17.5%.

OECD Americas

In OECD Americas, total electricity production was 422.2 TWh, 6.0% lower than in September 2019. Renewable production was 102.2 TWh in September 2020, up by 5.2% compared to September 2019. In the first three quarters of 2020, renewables produced 1,040.9 TWh of electricity, up by 4.3% compared to the same period in 2019. Non-renewable production on the otherhand, decreased by 5.4% in the first three quarters of 2020 mainly due to coal production which, at 671.0 TWh, was down by 22.7% compared to the same period in 2019. In September 2020, coal production was 78.5 TWh, down by 20.5% compared to September 2019.

In Chile, non-hydro renewables produced 12.1 TWh of electricity in the first three quarters of 2020, up by 10.5% compared to the same period in 2019. Wind production was 3.7 TWh in this period, up by 13.7% compared to the first three quarters of 2019 and solar production was 4.9 TWh, up by 16.9%. Solar production increased consistently in 2020 compared to 2019, highlighting the fast growth of the sector in Chile.

In the United States, net electricity production in September 2020 was 338.2 TWh, 7.1% lower than in September 2019. This decrease was driven by coal, with a production of 71.7 TWh, 20.2% lower than in September 2019. In the first three quarters of 2020, coal power output was 601.8 TWh, 23.4% lower than during the same period in 2019. Coal power production has been decreasing systematically in 2020 compared to 2019. This is largely due to air emission standards and the cost-competitiveness of coal compared to other fuels.

OECD Asia/Oceania

In OECD Asia/Oceania, net power production was 149.0 TWh, down by 0.7% compared to September 2019 and down by 12.2% compared to August 2020. Renewable production was 30.8 TWh, up by 17.2% compared to September 2019 and down by 4.5% compared to August 2020. In the first three quarters of 2020, renewables produced 261.6 TWh of electricity, up by 12.3% compared to the same period last year. This increase was driven by solar production, which increased by18.0% or 14.1 TWh in the first three quarters of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

In New Zealand, provisional statistics show that hydroproduction has decreased by 1.6 TWh or 8.7% in the first three quarters of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. This decrease in production is mainly due to ongoing dryer than average conditions,with continuous days of drought in the first half of 2020,which caused lower reservoir levels.

OECD Europe

In September 2020, total electricity production in OECD Europe was 269.7 TWh, equivalent to September 2019 production. Renewables produced 111.0 TWh of electricity, up by 6.4% compared to September 2019. In September, solar production increased by18.0% compared to September 2019, and was 16.5 TWh. In the first three quarters of  2020, solar production was 147.8 TWh, up by 17.2% compared to the same period in 2019, highlighting the fast expansion of the solar power sector in OECD Europe.

Total production in France was 33.0 TWh in September 2002, 14.1% lower than in September 2019. Since the first implementation of confinement measures, net production decreased substantially because of lower nuclear power production. Nuclear power production was 21.7 TWh in September 2020, 21.0% lower than in September 2019. In the first three quarters of 2020, nuclear production decreased by 16.3%. This decreased can beexplained by the adjustment of the maintenance outage plan to optimise output capacity through out the year. As a result of historically low nuclear production net exports decreased significantly. In September 2020, France was a net importer of electricity for the first time since November 2017, and exports declined by 55.7% compared to September 2019, down to 2.7 TWh.

In the Netherlands, net production in the third quarter of 2020 was 30.8 TWh, 14.6% higher than in the third quarter of 2019. This increase in production was due to higher natural gas production. In the third quarter of 2020, natural gas power output was 19.1 TWh, 9.1% higher than in the third quarter of 2019. Net electricity outputs reached seasonal maxima in the third quarter of 2020.  As a result, electricity exports increased by 57.8% in the third quarter and the Netherlands became net electricity exporter, breaking with seasonal trends.

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