News Releases

Electricity Supply: 2023

NR 184/2024
Release Date: 08 October 2024

In 2023, the electricity supplied amounted to 2,918.0 GWh, an increase of 1.3 per cent when compared to previous year.
shutterstock_627044027

During 2023, the electricity supply in Malta comprised of net generation from power plants (67.8 per cent), supply from net imports (21.3 per cent) and renewable sources (10.9 per cent)  (Table 1 and Chart 1).

In 2023, the gross production consisting of the electricity supplied from power plants and from renewables amounted to 2,344.6 GWh. The month of July featured the highest amount of gross production with 240.2 GWh (Table 2).

 

Chart 1. Total electricity supply in Malta by type and year

1 net imports = imports – exports

Electricity production from power plants registered an increase of 1.5 per cent when compared to previous year amounting to 2,026.0 GWh (Table 3). Energy harvesting from renewable sources registered an increase of 7.3 per cent, reaching 318.6 GWh in 2023. Most of the renewable energy (97.0 per cent) was produced from photovoltaic panels (Table 4).

During 2023, a total of 648.4 GWh were imported through the interconnector, registering an increase of 0.3 per cent when compared to the previous year (Table 5).

The month of July (334.7 GWh) had the highest amount of electricity supplied during 2023 with a share of 11.5 per cent. This is followed by the month of August (303.4 GWh) having a share of 10.4 per cent from the amount of electricity supplied (Table 6).

The months of July and August featured the highest electricity demand, registering 663 MW and 561 MW respectively during 2023. The annual average demand registered in 2023 was that of 446 MW – a decrease of 5.9 per cent when compared to the previous year (Table 7).

In 2023, GHG emissions from fuel combustion in power plant sources increased by 0.5 per cent over the situation in 2022 (Table 8 and Chart 2).

 

Chart 2. GHG emissions from fuel combustion in power plants by year

Methodological Notes

1. Definitions:

Megawatt (MW): is a unit for measuring power that is equivalent to one million watts.

Megawatt-hour (MWh): is equal to 1,000 kilowatts or one million (1,000,000) watts of electricity produced by a power plant that runs continuously for one hour.

● Gigawatt-hour (GWh): is equal to 1,000 megawatts or one billion (1,000,000,000) watts of electricity produced by a power plant that runs continuously for one hour.

Maximum electricity demand: the highest amount of electricity consumed at any one point in time across the entire network system.

● Renewable energy: energy that is obtained from resources which are continually replenished on a human timescale. Such resources include sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat.

● Photovoltaic (PV) system: A complete set of components for converting solar radiation into electricity by the photovoltaic process, including the array/s of photovoltaic modules that collect and absorb sunlight for conversion into electricity, inverter/s and associated balance of system components.

● CO2 equivalent: is a metric measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global-warming potential (GWP), by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide with the same global-warming potential.

● Own use by power plants: is the difference between Gross and Net production, i.e. it is the electricity and heat used by power station auxiliaries directly related to generation and including that used in the fuel handling plant, cooling water plant, power station services, heating, lighting, workshops and administrative buildings directly associated with the power station during both on-load and off-load periods.

● Gross electricity production: is the sum of the electrical energy production by all the generating sets concerned (including pumped storage) measured at the output terminals of the main generators.

● Net electricity production: is equal to the gross electricity production less the electrical energy absorbed by the generating auxiliaries and the losses in the main generator transformers.

● Imports and Exports: Amounts of electricity and heat are considered as imported or exported when they have crossed the political boundaries of the country, whether customs clearance has taken place or not. If electricity is “wheeled” or transited through a country, the amount should be reported as both an import and an export. From 2023, electricity exports through the Malta-Sicily Interconnector were reported at Ragusa point instead of at Magħtab point.

Electricity supply: For electricity, this is the electrical energy supplied from the plant. In the case of a national network, this is equal to the sum of the net electrical energy production supplied by all power stations within the country, reduced by the amount used simultaneously for pumping as well as the amount used for heat sold using heat pumps and electric boilers. It is then reduced or increased by exports to or imports from abroad.

2. Data is subject to revision.

3. Renewable energy data was revised for reference years 2021 and 2022.

4. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:

Statistical concepts

Metadata

5. A detailed news release calendar is available online.

6. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.

7. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.

Electricity Supply: 2023  

NR 184/2024
Release Date: 08 October 2024

shutterstock_627044027
  • The electricity supplied amounted to 2,918.0 GWh, an increase of 1.3 per cent when compared to the previous year.
  • The gross production consisting of the electricity supplied from power plants and from renewables amounted to 2,344.6 GWh, an increase of 2.2 per cent when compared to 2022.
  • A total of 648.4 GWh were imported through the interconnector, registering an increase of 0.3 per cent when compared to the previous year.
  • The annual average demand was that of 446 MW, a decrease of 5.9 per cent when compared to 2022.
  • GHG emissions from fuel combustion in power plant sources increased by 0.5 per cent over the situation in 2022.

Electricity Supply: 2023

Inflation Calculator News releases calendar Request for Information NACE Code queries
Skip to content