Electricity consumption up 0.6% in 2012 in Switzerland

In 2012, end electricity consumption in Switzerland rose by 0.6% to 59 TWh; domestic consumption (including losses occurring in transmission and distribution) was 63.4 TWh. Production at Switzerland's power plants rose by 8.2% to 68 TWh, or 65.6 TWh after deduction of electricity consumed by storage pumps. Overall this resulted in an electricity export surplus of 2.2 TWh compared to an import surplus of 2.6 TWh in 2011.



Electricity production (domestic production prior to deduction of 2.4 TWh consumed by storage pumps) at Switzerland's power plants rose in 2012 by 8.2% to 68 TWh (2011: 62.9 TWh). After the record in production achieved in 2001, this constitutes the second highest electricity output ever recorded. In each annual quarter domestic production exceeded the corresponding values achieved in the previous year (+6.1%, +14.4%, +8.4% and +3.8%). Because of the large amounts of precipitation and above average snow fall in the mountains, hydropower plants (fluvial and storage power plants) generated 18.1% more electricity than in 2011 (fluvial power plants +21%, storage power plants +15.8%). In summer production at fluvial power plants increased by 20.4% and in both winter quarters by 15.1%. Electricity production at the five Swiss nuclear power plants fell by 4.8% to 24.3 TWh (2011: 25.6 TWh), although Mühleberg nuclear power plant established a new production record. The availability of the Swiss nuclear power plants lay at 84.9% (2011: 89.3%). Hydropower plants contributed 58.7% to Switzerland's overall electricity production, followed by nuclear power plants (35.8%) and conventional thermal and other power plants (5.5%).

In 2012, the number of heating degree days increased over 2011 by 11.7% and this led to an increase in electricity consumption because almost 10% of electricity consumed in Switzerland is used for heating.