A sharp rise in balancing market costs, which have reached 20 euros per MWh, comes as an additional headache for suppliers and the industrial sector, already facing exorbitant wholesale electricity costs amid the energy crisis.

Balancing costs have risen since the end of September, from 12.25 euros per MWh to 20.04 euros per MWh for the week covering October 11 to 17.

This upward trajectory further increases the cost of electricity for industrial consumers and non-vertically integrated suppliers at a time when market clearing prices have skyrocketed.

On Monday, when renewable energy dominated grid input with a 48 percent share of the country’s energy mix, the market clearing price eased to 189.30 euros per MWh before bouncing back up to 218.06 euros per MWh yesterday and 205.6 euros per MWh today. The average wholesale price for October is currently at 200.3 euros per MWh.

Should the balancing cost settle at the currently heightened level of approximately 20 euros per MWh, domestic industrial players will face even greater sustainability challenges, while retail electricity prices will rise further.

Suppliers and industrial enterprises are troubled as, under the current energy market conditions, there is no leeway for an increase in the balancing cost, which, even at previous lower levels of around 10 euros per MWh, was one of Europe’s highest.