Greece’s wholesale electricity market is still adjusting as, despite sharp rises in CO2 emission right costs, lignite continues to play a leading market role. Contributions from lower-cost gas-fueled generators remain subdued.

A recent drop in temperatures around the country has led to wholesale electricity market demand peaks of more than 7,500 MW since the beginning of December, up from previous demand peaks ranging from 6,000 to 6,100 MW.

According to the energy exchange’s day-ahead market data, virtually all of the power utility’s coal generators are contributing to distribution without operating at full capacity. Instead, they are running at minimum levels. This is reducing the need for gas-fueled generators.

Yesterday, PPC’s Agios Dimitrios III, IV and V, Kardia III and IV, Amynteo I and Meliti all operated at minimum levels, while the contribution of gas-fueled generators was kept to a minimum. Sidelined units included Heron, ENTHES, Aliveri and Komotini, while Protergia and Korinthos Power units contributed only during peak demand hours.

The picture for today remains unchanged with the System Marginal Price (SMP), representing the wholesale price, at 63 euros per MWh, as was the case yesterday. Before the recent increase in demand, SMP levels ranged between 50 and 55 euros per MWh.

Power grid operator IPTO, offering an explanation for the ongoing dominance of coal over gas, despite the rising demand in the wholesale market, noted that turning off and withdrawing a lignite-fired power station – except for telethermal units – costs more than leaving a gas-fired power station sidelined without distribution input.

For PPC, the objective is to maintain the SMP at low levels as the utility is required to purchase energy from the pool given its big market share in supply and smaller share in production.