Smoke rises from the Hanasaari coal power plant in Helsinki, Finland, November 28, 2016. (Reuters)

Finland's usage of hard coal climbed by 10% year on year in 2022 due to higher use in electricity and heat production, according to Statistics Finland.

The Finnish government declared in 2018 that it intends to phase out the use of hard coal in the energy sector starting 2029.

However, due to the halt of Russian electricity imports, Helsinki reopened some previously decommissioned coal-fired energy facilities in 2022.

"According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, the consumption of hard coal increased by 10 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year. The consumption of hard coal as a fuel in the generation of electricity and heat and in manufacturing amounted to 2,015 thousand tonnes … In 2022, altogether 51 percent less hard coal was consumed than on average in the 2000s," the agency said in a statement.

Hard coal consumption grew by 26% year on year in the second quarter of 2022. According to Statistics Finland, hard coal reserves totaled 1.49 million tonnes, a 23% increase over the previous year.

Since Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the European Union has been exploring alternatives to Russian natural gas and oil.

For instance, the demand for coal, the most common source of electricity, is expected to rise dramatically in many EU nations, including Finland, by 2022. It is expected to remain high in the coming years amid the global energy crisis.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), EU member states are expected to increase coal production by 2.7 million tonnes by 2023.