Energy consumption in Czech industry fell last year, mainly among energy companies

Energy consumption in Czech industry fell last year. Domestic companies used less coal and coke, natural gas and electricity. Energy companies accounted for most of the reduction. Of the common fuels, only petrol consumption by businesses in Czechia increased. This is according to statistics from the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO).

Total hard coal consumption in Czechia fell by 28 percent last year, while coke consumption dropped by 33.5 percent. According to the office, this was mainly due to a decline in mining in the Ostrava region, although energy companies also contributed by cutting their use of hard coal by 30.2 percent. Brown coal consumption fell by 6.8 percent compared with the previous year, with a five percent decline in the energy sector, its largest consumer.

The office also noted that natural gas consumption was broadly flat. Last year, it fell by 5.5 percent among companies operating in the services sector. By contrast, consumption in agriculture and forestry rose by nearly 15 percent. As usual, the largest users were energy companies, along with glassworks and other energy-intensive operations.

According to CZSO data, total electricity consumption fell by two percent. Energy, chemical and metallurgical companies contributed most to the decline.

Compared with the year before last, motor petrol was the only common fuel whose consumption increased in domestic industry, rising by 7.9 percent. Two-thirds of consumption was accounted for by the services sector. Total diesel consumption was unchanged, a trend seen particularly among transport companies. Construction companies, by contrast, increased their use of diesel by nearly 13 percent.