The October weeks (weeks 40-44) were characterized by exceptionally good renewable production for this month, amounting to 6,047 gigawatt hours (GWh). This corresponds to an increase in renewable electricity generation of 54 percent compared to the same period last year.
Austria was able to cover 100 percent of its own electricity needs (5,611 GWh) with renewable energy in October. The main reasons for this were the above-average rainfall and the associated high production from run-of-river power plants. Hydropower accounted for around 77 percent of renewables in October at 4,664 GWh, meaning the share of renewables was a remarkable 9 percent higher than in the same month last year. At 812 GWh, wind energy contributed around 13 percent to the production of sustainable electricity. Whereas photovoltaic feed-in contributed a total of 336 GWh and thus 6 percent to renewables.
Increased production of renewables means October is particularly rich in exports
Thanks to the good production from renewable energy sources, an electricity surplus was achieved in Austria, which meant that Austria was able to export electricity abroad on 29 days in October and achieved an export balance of 904 GWh (based on the timetables). In comparison, in October of last year there was not a single day when the country was an electricity exporter.
There is no energy transition without a strong power grid
In order to make volatile, renewable electricity usable, a strong power grid is needed that transports the electricity to where it is needed. In order to prevent overloads in the power grid and to ensure a secure power supply, so-called redispatch measures are used to avoid overloads. This refers to the targeted and controlled use of power plants.
In October, the operational planning of the power plants in Austria had to be intervened on 23 days in order to ensure a secure power supply. Seven days more than the average for the previous nine months (16 days per month in 2024). This results in costs that the electricity customer has to pay. By the end of October, these costs were around 79.7 million euros for the first months of 2024.
A negative effect, in addition to the costs and increasing CO2 consumption, is the “curbing” of renewable power plant production. For example, wind power plants or run-of-river power plants, which would be producing electricity at this time, are shut down in order to avoid overloads in the power grid. Since the beginning of the year, an average of 5,350 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per month has been “lost” due to redispatch measures (the corresponding October value was around 6,044 MWh of electricity; the total from January to October is around 53,496 MWh).
“The targeted use of thermal or hydraulic power plants as well as the curtailment of renewables underline the urgency of expanding our power grids and must therefore be seen as a warning signal and wake-up call. Therefore, this expansion towards a high-capacity and secure power grid is essential for the implementation of the energy transition with a secure supply, for achieving the energy industry goals and containing negative economic effects,” emphasizes Christoph Schuh, company spokesman for APG.
In order to be able to fully utilize the planned growth rates in the area of renewables in the next few years, a high-capacity electricity infrastructure, storage and digital intelligence within the electricity system are required. APG’s 9 billion euro investment program until 2034 and its timely implementation are therefore central to the success of the secure energy transition. “This requires appropriate framework conditions: from overall energy system planning, the acceleration and simplification of approval procedures to Austria-wide coordination of the transformation towards a sustainable and affordable energy system,” adds Christoph Schuh.
Energy exchange within Austria
The APG regional power grid also enables energy exchange within the country. This means that electricity surpluses from the individual federal states can be distributed throughout Austria and deficits can be compensated for.
Due to good water production, Carinthia (411 GWh) was able to generate the highest energy surplus in October and make it available throughout Austria via the APG network. Lower Austria (378 GWh) is the second most due to its good water and wind production. Vienna (304 GWh) had to purchase the most electricity from the grid alongside Vorarlberg (134 GWh).
Responsible power consumption
In October (week 40-44), based on the currently available data, 5,611 GWh of electricity was consumed from the public grid in Austria – around four percent more than in October 2023 (5,390 GWh). This is the electricity purchased from the public grid in the APG control area. This figure therefore does not include the consumption that is covered by self-produced PV electricity.
It is important to act responsibly when using electricity. With every electricity saving, CO2 and overall system costs are also reduced, making a significant contribution to increasing system security. The trend to reduce CO2 must be continued. This also includes self-used PV electricity.
For tips on saving electricity, see www.apg.at/stromspartipps/. With the APG Powermonitor, the Austrian population is able to see the most effective energy saving hours and thus make an active contribution to CO2 reduction and system security. You can find the APG Powermonitor at: www.apg-powermonitor.at/
APG continuously follows the development of the domestic e-economy and publishes under www.apg.at/infografiken/ regular graphics on the following topics: energy exchange, electricity consumption in Austria, electricity generation from renewable sources, import/export and much more
About Austrian Power Grid (APG)
As an independent transmission network provider, Austrian Power Grid (APG) is responsible for ensuring Austria’s secure electricity supply. With our powerful and digital electricity infrastructure and the use of state-of-the-art technologies, we integrate renewable energies, are a platform for the electricity market, create access to inexpensive electricity for Austria’s consumers and thus form the basis for a secure supply sustainable business and living location. The APG network extends over a route length of around 3,400 km, which the company operates, maintains and continuously adapts to the increasing demands of the electrification of society, business and industry with a team of around 900 specialists. A large part of the 67 substations distributed throughout Austria are operated remotely via the control center in Vienna’s 10th district. In 2023, thanks to the committed employees, the security of supply was once again at 99.99 percent, making it one of the best in the world. Our investments of 445 million euros in 2024 (2023: 490 million, 2022: 370 million euros) are an economic engine and an essential building block for achieving Austria’s climate and energy goals. APG will invest a total of around 9 billion euros in network expansion and conversion by 2034.