Last year the Faroe Islands generated 434 GWh of electrical power, a 2.3-percent increase on the previous year, and a new record, not only in total volumes but also in the proportion of renewable energy.
According to utility company SEV, over half (or 52 pc.) of the power generated came from renewable sources.
“Never before has this much renewable energy been generated in the Faroes,” SEV noted, “and in Suðuroy, the power generation remained 100 pc. renewable for a total of 56 days.” SEV went on to add that the electrical power available in the rest of the country was more than 80 pc. renewable for a total 50 days during 2022.
As per SEV, over 226 GWh was generated from renewable sources during 2022, whereof 130.9 GWh (30.2 pc.) came from hydropower, wind accounted for 90 GWh (20.7 pc.), 5.4 GWh (1.2 pc.) were derived from biogass, and 0.171 GWh from solar power.
Throughout the year, 90.8 pc. of the total electrical power generated in the Faroes was produced by SEV and its subsidiaries, we’re told.
Excluding the island Suðuroy, most of the electricity generated in the island nation is produced by Sund Power Station, which generated a total 186 GWh last year — or 47 percent of the total amount of electricity generated in the Main Area.
Notably, the 2022 numbers marked the first time since 2015 that the Sund Power Station generated less energy than it did during the previous year. It turned out the power station generated 21 pc. less energy last year compared to 2021, much owing to increased amounts generated from hydro and wind.
A common denominator for 2022 and 2015, namely, is noted in the unusually high amounts of rain coming down in both years. As for 2022, rain was especially heavy in July and August, during which the monthly volume of hydro-power generated was thrice the average.
