According to the latest monthly data for the interconnected electricity network from ADMIE (May 2022):
New all-time low for lignite in the first 5 months of the year with a 21% decrease compared to the same period in 2021.
Electricity production from fossil gas increased by 7% compared to the first five months of 2021. However, the relative increase of renewables was higher (+9%).
At the same time, net electricity imports were higher by 70% compared to the same period in 2021, but lower by 41% compared to 2020.
If lignite reduction in 2022 follows the same trend as in the first 5 months of the year (-21%), then there are considerable chances that PPC will achieve the sustainability target, associated with the sustainability-linked bonds that were signed in 2021, namely, a 40% emission reduction from all of its thermal power plants in 2022 compared to 2019.
Specifically, if lignite continues to decline by 21% compared to 2021 and at the same time electricity generation from fossil gas and oil plants remains at the level of the corresponding 3-year averages (2019-2021), then PPC will achieve its sustainability goal, as it is shown from the analysis of the verified CO2 emissions published in the Union Registry of the EU Emissions Trading System.
It is noted that in 2020 and 2021, the emissions from all of PPC’s thermal plants were 33% and 32%, respectively lower than in 2019, and therefore above the emissions corresponding to the -40% clause included in the PPC sustainability-linked bonds.
For the second consecutive year, the electricity generated by renewables (including large hydro), during the first five months of the year, surpassed that produced by fossil fuels (fossil gas and lignite).
Moreover, the production by renewables (7795 GWh) was higher than that of fossil gas (7132 GWh), as was also the case in 2021.
Thus, for the same period, renewables (without large hydro) increased their share in the energy mix to 36.6% – exceeding the share of fossil gas (33.5%)
On the other hand, lignite share fell significantly during the first five months of the year, covering only 9.3% of the electricity demand.
Specifically for May 2022:
- Similar to 3 of the 4 previous months of 2022, production from lignite was lower compared to the corresponding month of 2021. In May, the relative reduction was 39% (223 GWh in May 2022 vs 363 GWh in May 2021).
- For the 2nd consecutive month in 2022, the monthly electricity generation from fossil gas decreased compared to the corresponding month of 2021 (-3% in May 2022 compared to May 2021).
- For the 4th consecutive month in 2022, the monthly production of renewables increased compared to the corresponding month of 2021 (+7% in May 2022 compared to May 2021).
