OREANDA-NEWS. March 01, 2010. In January, Eesti Energia sold 787 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity on the domestic market, which was 8.9% more than in January 2009, reported the press-centre of Eesti Energia.

Eesti Energia sold 461 GWh of electricity to business customers in January, which is 0.5% less than a year ago. Residential customers were sold 219 GWh of electricity in January, which is 30% more than last year. Eesti Energia’s sales to network operators made up 107 GWh, representing an increase of 18%.

The outdoor temperature was 10 degrees colder than average in January, which exerted a positive impact on Eesti Energia’s sales. The economic downturn and resulting lower production output at industrial enterprises have had a negative impact on sales.

Export of electricity amounted to 219 GWh in January, which is 1% less than a year ago. Increased export to Lithuania and to the Nordic countries’ energy exchange Nord Pool had a positive impact on electricity exports. Sales to Lithuania increased in connection with the closing of the Ignalina nuclear power plant on 1 January. The cold weather and lower level of hydroelectric reservoirs in Norway have increased export to the Nord Pool power exchange. Decreased sales to Latvia and the expiry of the sales contract with the Finnish energy partner had a negative impact on export volumes, however.

In January, Eesti Energia’s average selling price of electricity to the domestic market, not including network services, was 470 kroons per megawatt hour (kr/MWh). The average base electricity price during the same period in Nord Pool’s Finnish region was 1030 kr/MWh.

Eesti Energia’s sales of thermal energy amounted to 278 GWh in January, which is 35 GWh more than a year ago. Heat sales were impacted positively by the low outdoor temperatures.