2nd Assignment Sustainable Energy MS 5220

Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Asybel Bonar

1 23118302
Bandung Institute of Technology

Composition and Energy Policy in Estonia

Asybel Bonar

Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jl. Ganesha No.10,
Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

Abstract
This article will discuss about the current energy condition in Estonia, the future plan, and actions
towards it. Throughout the year, the world has been struggling with greenhouse gases production,
so production of greenhouse gases has been restricted. . Estonia has been heavily depending its
energy resource from oil shale since 1940. Changing its primary source of energy will be a
challenge towards Estonia. Facing this challenge, Estonia creates some plan and policy.
Keywords: Estonia, Policy, Greenhouse Gases.

1. Estonia Country Background 2. Energy Composition

Republic of Estonia is a country located in
Northern of Europe. With territory of 45.227
km2 Estonia has 1.3 million population in
2017, making it the 14th least populated
country in Europe [1].
Fig 1. Estonia Geographical Location
The capital city of Estonia is located in
Tallinn. Despite being small and developed
country, Estonia managed to become one of
the fastest-growing country in Europe in
2017 [2].
Estonia is provided with a lot of fossil fuel in
form of oil shale. With this, Estonia become
the only country in the world with oil shale as
its primary energy resource, providing 73%
of electricity generation in Estonia in 2016,
declining from 86% in 2013 [3 In 2017,
Estonia has mined 15.6 million tons of oil
shale. Estonia’s two main oil shale deposits
are located in north-eastern Estonia. The
thickest oil shale strata lie in an area between
Rakvere and Narva. [5] Estonia has been
modernizing its electricity production by
opening Auvere power plant in 2018. Auvere
power plant is an oil shale based electricity
production plant. Estonia also import natural
gas and petroleum for heat generation as it
was being 7 and percent of energy supply in
Estonia.
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Fig 3. Estonia Electricity Generation by Fuel

Source: iea.org
Fig 2. Total Primary energy supply of
Estonia Estonia consumed 9.42 TWh of its electricity
Source: iea.org production, while the rest of it being exported
to Finland, Latvia, and other Baltic countries.
To be noted, according to IEA oil shale is
From data above, Estonia three largest
classified in coal on the chart above. In 2016,
resource of electricity coming from oil
Estonia produced 3799 ktoe of energy from
shale/coal providing 83.8%, biofuels 7.3%,
coal, 428 ktoe from natural gas, 982 ktoe
and wind energy 4.9%. Majority of oil shale,
from biofuel and waste, primary and
is used for electricity generation locally,
secondary oil 432 ktoe, 51 ktoe from
because of its relatively low energy content
geothermal and solar energy, and 3 ktoe from
making it typically not transported over long
hydro power.
distance [5].
3. Energy Supply and Demand
Estonia is one of the most independent
countries in term of energy balance. Having
ranked 5th in the European Union. Estonia
imports natural gas and liquid fuels for heat
generation, and exports wood fuel and shale
oil [6]. Regarding natural gas, Estonia is one
hundred percent depending on import from
Russia. In 2016, Estonia generate 10,204
GWh of electricity by burning coal (255kt Oil
Shale, 4kt Peat, and 27kt Bituminous Coal),
255 GWh from Oil, 74 GWh from natural Fig 3. Estonia electricity consumption
gas, 885 GWh from Biofuels, 129 GWh from Source: iea.org
waste, 594 Gwh from wind energy, and 35
GWh from hydro power. Second largest energy production in Estonia
is biofuel. More than 98% consumption of
biofuel come from solid biofuels (38PJ) of
which consumed in residential sector. This
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solid biofuel are in form of wood. The

primary user of wood based biofuel coming
from residential, as it is mainly used for heat
generation, such as cooking and heating,
especially in rural areas. The usage of biofuel
as electricity source has been applied in many
power plant in Estonia to replace oil shale,
such as Narva Power Plants [7]
Wind energy provide 4.9% of electricity in
Estonia. There are 139 wind turbines Fig 6. Share of electricity imports and
installed in Estonia with total capacity of Export
309.96 MW, providing the country 594 GWh Source: Estonian Long Term Power Scenarios,
Tallinn University of Technology, 2014
of electricity.
4. Estonia Future Energy Plan
According to national future energy plan,
Estonia divide its energy plan into 3 parts
listed below:
4.1. GHG emissions and removals
For short term target, Estonia binding its
national target for GHG removal by 13%
(a) (b)
from 2005 by 2030. For the long term
Fig 4. Wind (a) and Hydro (b) Electricity
program, Estonia target the reduction of
Generation
GHG by 2050 compared to 1990 is 80%
Source: iea.org
4.2. Renewable Energy Usage
Hydroelectric provide only small amount of
Estonia planning to increase the share of
Estonian electricity, because of its
electricity from renewable energy
characteristic of local geology. There is 7.3
sources by 2030 to 42 percent.
MW hydroelectric plant installed with the
annual production 35 GWh of electricity in
2016 [7]

Overall, Estonia has positive net electricity

export. In 2005, Estonia exports 20 percent of
its electricity, thus ranking third among the
European member states.
Fig 7. Sector Based share of renewable
energy
Source: Estonian Long Term Power Scenarios,
Tallinn University of Technology, 2014
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4.3. Energy Efficiency launched by 2008 under the name of

Overall target of energy efficiency by
primary energy consumption in 2030 is ≤ 230
PJ19. By doing this, the cumulative amount
of end use energy saving over 2021 to 2030
by 14,422 GWh. To achieve this, Estonia set
target by renovating public bodies building
over the period of 2021 to 2030 for the total
floor area of 290,000 m2. Estonia also set
target to increase energy efficiency of oil
shale production by over 76 percent in 2030.
5. Estonia Policy to Achieve Energy Plan
Estonia has some actions towards its National
Energy Plan in 2020. Taken from Estonian
National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP
2030), it will do the following actions:
a. Increasing research and development in
the energy sector. This program was
Estonian Energy Technology Programme
(ETP). This research will focus on oil
shale technology, new energy
technologies based on renewable energy
resources, and nuclear energy. The overall
budget from 2008 to 2013 was €7.5m.
b. Increasing energy efficiency in residential
area by renovating public bodies building
with total floor area of 290,000 m2
c. Subsidies in new electricity generation.
The support schemes for new generation
capacities establishment are specified in
Electricity Market Act, and they are
directly primarily towards renewable
energy and co-generation.
d. Construction of new power plant that
fueled by renewable energy, such as
biomass and wind energy.

Resource
[1] http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/countries-in-europe/
[2] https://www.stat.ee/article-2018-06-13-economic-growth-in-estonia-increased-significantly
[3] Estonia country note by OECD, Issued April 2019
[4] https://www.worlddata.info/europe/estonia/energy-consumption.php
[5] Estonian Oil Share Industry yearbook 2017.
[6] Kisel, Enari. The Estonian Energy Sector in Comparison to Other Countries
[7] https://news.err.ee/951755/government-approves-use-of-biomass-in-narva-power-plants-
within-year
[8] National Development Plan of the Energy Sector until 2030, Republic of Estonia, 2017