clearing price

Wholesale power price drop recorded on Christmas Day

Posted on by admin

The combination of increased electricity imports, high RES production and reduced energy demand resulted in a reduction of wholesale electricity prices on Christmas Day, including a near-zero-level market clearing price.

On Christmas Day, the market-clearing price dropped to as low as 0.04 cents per MWh, while the day’s average price was 98.09 euros per MWh.

Electricity imports comprised 34.72 percent of the country’s energy mix on Christmas Day, followed by renewables (32.14%), natural gas-fueled production (21.66%), hydropower (8.27%), and lignite-fired generation (0.27%).

Market conditions were similar on Boxing Day, the average market-clearing price dropping 10.94 percent to 87.37 euros per MWh. The day’s market-clearing price low was 2 euros per MWh, while the maximum price reached 135.28 euros per MWh.

As was the case on Christmas Day, electricity imports also dominated the energy mix on Boxing Day with a 33.91 percent share, followed by renewables (32.66%), natural gas-fueled production (21.98%), hydropower (8.02%), and lignite-fired generation (0.26%).

As for today, the average market-clearing price is forecast to rise mildly, by 3.8 percent, to 90.69 euros per MWh, as a result of greater energy-mix contributions by natural gas and lignite and a drop in RES input, while the day’s lows and highs are expected to reach 35 euros per MWh and 137.39 euros per MWh, respectively.

Once again, electricity imports are planned to dominate the energy mix today with a 31.45 percent share, followed by natural gas-fueled production (28.55%), renewables (24.99%) hydropower (7.74%), and lignite-fired generation (3.97%).

It is also worth pointing out that, over the past seven-day period, the market-clearing price has remained below the 100 euro per MWh barrier for five days, exceeding this level on just two days.

 

Sliding wholesale electricity prices continue to fall

Posted on by admin

Wholesale electricity prices continued to fall last week, dropping to a four-week low, reaffirming projections of a further price de-escalation in the immediate future.

The market clearing price today was 102.67 euros per MWh, below the December average, so far, at 105.07 euros per MWh, and well below the year’s average of 121.43 euros per MWh.

Last week’s market clearing price averaged 101.29 euros per MWh, down 12.14 percent from the average level recorded a week earlier, peaking at 219.11 euros per MWh, and dropping as low as 26.49 euros per MWh.

The highest market clearing price average for a day last week was recorded on December 12, a Tuesday, reaching 125.26 euros per MWh.

Balancing cost leap the latest concern for suppliers, industry

Posted on by admin

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.