Short-term indicators of energy statistics in April of this year show an annual growth of electricity production (net 1.3%), crude oil (11.4%) and petroleum products (19.5%).
However, on a cumulative level it is recorded decrease in electricity production (net -2.2%) and petroleum products (-12.9%) and an increase in crude oil production (13.8%). In the structure of electricity production, the largest part (69%) makes energy from hydropower plants which recorded decrease of 6.8% compared to the same period last year, announced the Chamber of Commerce.
The decline in production in hydropower plants is the sole reason for the reduction of total production, because there is an increase of 3.3%, namely 32.6% in thermal power plants and “wind farms and other renewable sources”.
High growth in electricity production from wind farms and other renewable sources is in line with the low share in total production and the strategy “Europe 2020th” which aims to have 20% of energy made from renewable sources.
The decrease in production of petroleum products in the first four months of this year certainly has influenced the temporary closure of the Sisak refinery from January to mid-April, and increased imports of petroleum products. In the first four months, the import was 33% higher compared to the same period last year. The above mentioned double-digit increase in the volume of petroleum products imports is partly linked with the low growth of crude oil imports (1.4%).
The low increase in crude oil imports is the result of a lack of imports in January this year and the absence of imports in November and December. It is about three such cases since the available data (from October 2009th). This year’s low growth of crude oil imports benefited the foreign trade deficit which decreased in the first four months to 4.1%. , transmits Serbia-energy.eu