Domestic Energy Consumption Increased by an Average of 1.7% Annually Over the Past 3 Years

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Domestic energy consumption has increased by an average of 1.7% annually over the past three years (2016?2019).

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 18th that according to the results of the '2020 Energy Census,' South Korea's total energy consumption in 2019 was 226.479 million toe (tons of oil equivalent, where 1 toe equals the heat content of 1 ton of crude oil), representing an average annual increase of 1.7% compared to 2016.

Energy consumption in the industrial sector increased by an average of 1.6% annually over the three years. However, its share of total energy consumption slightly declined from 60.4% in 2016 to 60.2% in 2019.

Within the industrial sector, manufacturing?which accounts for 95.8% of industrial energy consumption?saw increased consumption of petrochemical raw materials such as naphtha and bituminous coal. During the same period, energy consumption in the transportation sector grew by an average of 2.7% annually. Its share of total energy consumption rose from 20.8% to 21.4%.

Despite rising raw material and fuel prices, energy consumption expanded across all transportation industry sectors due to increased transportation performance. In 2019, the average fuel consumption per vehicle for government and private cars was 1,284 liters, up 2.2% annually from 1,203 liters in 2016.

Energy consumption in the commercial and public sectors increased by an average of 1.2% annually, while its share slightly decreased from 9.2% to 9.1%. Among these, city gas consumption declined by an average of 1.4% annually, which is attributed to reduced heating demand due to warmer winter climates.

The sector with the highest energy consumption per business establishment was public services, including administration, education, health, and water supply. The sector with the highest energy intensity was lodging and food services.

Energy consumption in the household sector increased by an average of 0.4% annually, but its share decreased from 9.6% to 9.3%. Due to reduced heating demand in winter, consumption of heating fuels such as city gas, kerosene, and thermal energy (district heating) decreased annually by 0.6%, 4.7%, and 7.8%, respectively.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to utilize the Energy Census results for long-term energy demand forecasting and mid- to long-term energy policy development. Additionally, the microdata from this survey will be made publicly available on the Energy Statistics Portal and the Korea Energy Agency website starting on the 18th, allowing companies, research institutions, and the public to access and use the data.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.