Vattenfall's European power generation increased by 1.6% in 2013 to 181.7 TWh, despite a 16% decrease in hydropower generation (mainly owing to exceptionally high hydro power generation in 2012). Increased electricity generation from nuclear power plants and coal- and gas-fired power plants compensated for the drop in hydro power generation. Nuclear power generation increased by 6.1% due to higher availability. Fossil-based
power generation (lignite, coal and gas) increased by 7.6%, mainly owing to higher production capacity (the gas-fired Magnum and Diemen 34 plants in the Netherlands, and the Boxberg R lignite-fired power plant in Germany). Vattenfall’s electricity generation from wind power increased by 8.3%, mainly in the UK and the Netherlands. Power generation dipped by 4.3% in Sweden to 85 TWh (-17% for hydropower) but rose by 2.2% in Germany to 70.3 TWh, by 23% in Denmark (7 TWh) and by 29% in the Netherlands to 17.1 TWh (new gas-fired power plants).
Total sales of electricity decreased slightly in 2013. Sales to retail and business customers decreased by 4.7% and 5.9%, respectively, while sales of electricity via resellers increased by 7.1%. Sales of heat were essentially unchanged. Sales of gas increased by 3.4 TWh to 55.8 TWh as a result of a larger number of retail and business customers in Germany.
Since 2010 Vattenfall’s CO2 exposure has decreased from 93.7 Mt to 88.4 Mt in 2013. However during 2013 the CO2 exposure increased somewhat compared to 2012 due to the commissioning of new power plants.