Both solar and wind energy production exceeded one terawatt-hours last year

In 2024, Estonian power plants produced 3,398 gigawatt-hours of electricity from renewable sources, which accounted for 63 per cent of Estonia’s electricity production. For the first time in history, the output of both solar and wind power plants exceeded one terawatt-hours.

The amount of electricity produced from renewable sources was nearly a third higher than in 2023. The growth of renewable electricity production was mainly boosted by the addition of new solar and wind power plants. Electricity produced from renewable energy covered 39 per cent of the total consumption last year.
 
Last year, the capacity of wind power plants increased by 63 per cent and reached 694 megawatts at the end of the year. In 2024, wind energy accounted for 34 per cent of the total production of renewable energy. In total, 1,164 gigawatt-hours of electricity were produced from wind. Compared to the previous year, wind energy production increased by 70 per cent.
 
The limit set for subsidised wind energy – 600 gigawatt-hours per calendar year – was not met last year. A total of 26 million euros were paid in support for renewable electricity produced from wind, which is 28 per cent more than in 2023.
 
The production of solar energy increased by half from 693 gigawatt-hours to 1,005 gigawatt-hours. As at the end of the year, solar production capacity has increased by 50 per cent to 1,210 megawatts, of which 460 megawatts of production capacity has been registered in support schemes. The capacity of subsidised solar plants increased by only four per cent last year.
 
The volume of support for solar energy remained stable, and 27 million euros were paid in subsidies for solar energy in 2024. The addition of solar generating capacities has created a situation where the electricity exchange price is very low or negative during sunny hours, and this affects the amount of subsidies, because no subsidies are paid to producers during negative hours. Due to the impact of solar plants connected to the grid, the stock exchange price was 26 per cent lower than the average stock exchange price for the year during sunny hours.
 
Electricity produced from biomass, biogas and waste accounted for 35 per cent of the total renewable electricity production of last year. 1,199 gigawatt-hours of electricity were produced from these sources, which received support in the amount of 27 million euros.
 
The total production of subsidised renewable energy increased by 10 per cent to 1,490 gigawatt hours last year, with the increase in the subsidies paid out being due to the growth of subsidised wind production. In total, 83 million euros were paid in subsidies for renewable energy and efficient cogeneration in 2024.
 
In 2024, the support for efficient cogeneration was paid five per cent more than the previous year, which amounts to 2.8 million euros per 88 gigawatt-hours.
Last year, 30 gigawatt-hours of hydropower were produced, while the production the year before was 25 gigawatt-hours. A total of 0.5 million euros of support for renewable energy were paid for last year’s hydropower production.