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In recent years, Utilitas has continuously increased its green energy production. The group produced altogether 1.4 terawatt-hours of environmentally friendly thermal and electric energy in 2019 -- 18% more than in 2018 and 69% more than in 2016, Utilitas said.

Head of Utilitas group Priit Koit said that by using renewable fuels, such as wood chips, Utilitas was able to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 650,000 tons last year, which would have otherwise been released to the atmosphere if the group had produced energy from  natural gas or oil shale. 

Utilitas customers consumed close to 1.9 terawatt-hours of thermal energy last year, 2% less than the year before. As 2019 was one of the warmest years in the previous 50 years, heat consumption was lower as well. 

Altogether 109 buildings across Estonia with an aggregate capacity of 53 megawatt-hours joined Utilitas' networks in 2019. As of the end of the year, Utilitas supplied heat to 4,931 buildings in eight towns and cities across Estonia, including over 173,000 households.

Investments by Utilitas totaled 38 mln euros in 2019. The group completed the construction of it cogeneration plant in Tallinn's Mustamae district, continued developing its district heating network as well as its IT and customer management systems. The combined length of district heating pipes built and renovated by Utilitas in 2019 was over 20 kilometers.

Utilitas also  opened a new combined heat and power (CHP) station in Tallinn's Mustamae district last year in which the company had invested 48 mln euros. This is the third CHP plant of Utilitas in Tallinn that operates on green biofuel. The group also launched its first district cooling plant in the Estonian capital city last year.

"The national energy and climate plan for 2030 sets the objective that 63% of the thermal energy and 42% of all electricity consumed should be produced from renewable sources. Utilitas seeks to help meet these national targets, both through its existing activities as well as new business directions," Koit said. For that reason, Utilitas began developing in 2019 the production of energy from renewable fuels along with the production of wind and solar energy.

Utilitas is an energy group with its main activities including the production of heat and electricity and the provision of district heating services. The company supplies district heating in eight Estonian cities, including the capital Tallinn, Maardu, Keila, Rapla, Haapsalu, Kardla, Jogeva and Valga. The group's employees number 249.