Electricity resources increased, in Romania, by 3.3% in the first two months of this year, compared to the similar interval in 2022, while population consumption decreased by 18.2%, according to data published on Thursday by National Institute of Statistics (INS).

According to official statistics, between January 1 and February 28, 2023, primary energy resources decreased by 6.4%, compared to the same period of the previous year, totaling 5.158 million tons of oil equivalent (toe), down by 351,300 toe, according to Agerpres.

Also, domestic production amounted to 3.032 million toe, up by 85,300 toe (+2.9%), from year to year, and import was 2.126 million toe, with 436,600 tep (-17%) less than from the beginning of 2022.

According to the INS, in the analyzed period, the electricity resources were of 11.698 billion kWh, increasing by 375.2 million kWh, while the production from thermal power plants was of 3.81 billion kWh, decreasing by 186 million kWh (- 4.7%).

At the same time, the production from hydropower plants reached 2.972 billion kWh, up by 725.5 million kWh (+32.3%), and that from nuclear-electric plants of 1.964 billion kWh (-0.9% compared to the first two months from the previous year).

Production from wind power plants totaled, at the end of February, 1.830 billion kWh, an increase of 133.9 million kWh compared to the same period of the previous year, and the solar energy produced in photovoltaic installations was of 147.1 million kWh, marking a decrease by 39 million kWh.

The final consumption of electricity reached 8.449 billion kWh, 7.4% lower than the corresponding period of 2022, while the final consumption of electricity in the economy decreased by 3%, public lighting by 25.9% and population consumption by 18.2%.

In the analyzed period, the export of electricity was of 2.177 billion kWh, increasing by 1.182 billion kWh, from one year to the next, and the own technological consumption in networks and stations was of 1.073 billion kWh (-128.3 million kWh).