Retail electricity prices below EU average in first half of ’23

Retail electricity price levels in Greece were well below the EU average in the first half of 2023, giving the country a 17th place ranking for most expensive low-voltage electricity among member states, Eurostat data has shown.

Greece ended the six-month period with retail electricity prices averaging 233 euros per MWh, compared to the EU average of 289 euros per MWh over the same period.

Calculations for these figures include taxes and other charges, but not subsidies offered to consumers.

The Netherlands topped the list with an average price of 475 euros per MWh in the first half of 2023, while Bulgaria was placed at the bottom end with an average price of 114 euros per MWh.

As for EU member states ranked slightly above Greece, Lithuania averaged 281 euros per MWh, Sweden followed with 269 euros per MWh, Austria was next 265 euros per MWh, Ireland’s average was 248 euros per MWh, and Finland, one place above Greece, ended the first half last year with an average price of 238 euros per MWh.

On the contrary, electricity supply for non-residential consumers in Greece, averaging 213 euros per MWh, was slightly above the EU average of 210 euros per MWh. Even so, Greece’s ranking remained the same, 17th most expensive, for this category.

Romania topped the list of most expensive non-residential electricity with an average of 329 euros per MWh, while Iceland ranked lowest with an average of 78 euros per MWh in the first half last year.

 

Collective gas orders increase in second purchasing round

A second round of collective European gas purchases, through a platform similar to one established for vaccine orders during the pandemic, has resulted in natural gas orders totaling nearly 12 bcm, well over a quantity ordered during the procedure’s first round in May.

However, the EU initiative fell short of attracting full participation. Second-round orders were delivered to twenty European grid entry points, the majority of quantities at entry points in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Bulgaria and Germany, as well as Ukrainian storage facilities, Sefcovic noted.

“The positive results of this second round illustrate that there is a need and clear added value to join forces, pool our demand and work together to guarantee stable and affordable gas supply to the EU market,” noted the European Commission’s Vice President Maros Sefcovic, who oversees the platform, named AggregateEU.

It was established by the EU following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to prevent bidding wars between fellow member states and utilize their collective bargaining power potential for competitively priced energy supply as an alternative to Russian natural gas.

Approximately 5.5 bcm, or 45 percent, of the second round’s orders, totaling 11.98 bcm, were made for LNG, well over this energy source’s share of orders in the first round, below 20 percent of the total. Pipeline gas represented all other collective orders made through the platform in the second round.

A third round is expected to be staged in September and is planned to be followed by two further rounds before the end of the year.

EU headed for new impasse on gas price cap agreement

The EU’s energy ministers appear headed towards another deadlock for a gas price cap agreement at an upcoming council meeting on December 13, which will prove a disappointment for Europeans as prices surge again.

Several EU member states seem to be resisting any sort of compromise for the establishment of a gas price cap level ahead of next week’s meeting of energy ministers, a measure now more urgent than ever before as winter temperatures begin to fall.

Gas prices surged yesterday at the Dutch energy exchange, a European benchmark, reaching 160 euros per MWh before easing to 140 euros per MWh and ending the day at 138 euros per MWh.

Though the prospect of high-priced natural gas is alarming, a price cap agreement does not appear to be a priority for a group of EU member states, led by Germany. Berlin, according to sources, wants the issue deferred until a summit of EU leaders, scheduled for next Thursday, two days after the meeting of EU energy ministers.

This, of course, would be a setback as it was at the previous summit, in October, that EU leaders referred the issue to the Energy Council, asking its members to work on details of an agreement reached by the 27 EU leaders.

Germany, joined by the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Estonia and Luxembourg, appears to be insisting on gas price cap at the level initially proposed by the European Commission, 275 euros per MWh, well above the 220-euro proposal forwarded by the Czech Republic, currently holding the EU’s rotating presidency.

Energy crisis gap bridging the main aim at today’s EU summit

The EU’s 27 leaders participating at today’s EU summit will strive to heal divisions that have created blocs within Europe for energy crisis solutions rather than seek finalized solutions on how price levels could de-escalate.

The EU-27 will be asked to agree to European Commission proposals announced yesterday. They include collective natural gas orders for reinforced bargaining power and prevention of bidding wars by fellow EU member states for LNG quantities, as well as a supplementary gas benchmark offering a more accurate reflection of market conditions.

A Brussels request concerning a temporary price cap on gas used for electricity generation, a strategy already adopted by Spain and Portugal, is expected to be contested by the EU leaders.

Brussels considers the proposal for a price cap on gas used for electricity production should be further examined, judging by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s comments in European Parliament yesterday.

France, using minimal amounts of gas for electricity generation as a result of its considerable nuclear capacity, has expressed support for such a plan. Germany accepts it but Greece, Italy, Belgium and other EU member states object as a result of the significant fiscal cost entailed.

Some EU members favoring a general price cap on gas, including Greece and, more recently, the Netherlands, are expected to remain adamant on their  preferred approach at today’s summit.

Germany strongly opposes a general price cap on gas, fearing it will repel gas suppliers and push up prices as a result of reduced supply and higher demand.

Gas price cap hopes fading, new EU benchmark in place of TTF likely

Prospects for an adjustable gas price cap in the EU appear to have faded following Berlin’s  rejection of the plan, despite latest efforts made yesterday by several EU energy ministers, including Greece’s minister. The group, representing the EU’s most supportive members of a gas price cap, forwarded a related request to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

On the contrary, a European Commission proposal for the introduction of a new benchmark concerning the price of natural gas in the EU, to replace the current TTF, appears to be gaining wide acceptance among EU member states. Officials are already believed to be working on this plan.

Despite yesterday’s setback for the gas price cap, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and fellow supporters of the plan intend to once again table a request at next week’s EU summit.

Yesterday’s rejection of the plan by Germany was attributed to disagreement within the German government, and objections by the Netherlands.

According to sources, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ultimately deemed that a gas price cap could lead to side effects in energy markets after signs, yesterday, that Germany could accept the plan.

EU gas price cap hopes set back, weekend talks needed

A mild winter ahead appears to be the only cost-containment hope left for European consumers following yesterday’s failure by the EU’s 27 energy ministers to reach an agreement on an adjustable gas price cap or some other drastic measure that could ease the pressure of the energy crisis.

Yesterday’s impasse greatly diminishes the possibility of an agreement at the forthcoming EU summit, a two-day meeting scheduled for October 20 and 21.

However, officials will continue making efforts ahead of next week’s EU summit. The European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, reacting to yesterday’s failure by EU energy ministers to reach an agreement, said talks for a solution would carry on over the weekend.

Greece, along with Belgium, Italy and Poland, have been the most supportive of a gas price cap.

German and Dutch resistance appeared to have softened in recent days, seemingly bridging the gap between the EU’s two opposing sides for and against the measure. But German officials, citing an inability for agreement within their own ranks, informed Greek officials that a gas price cap agreement is not on the cards.

 

Shell, Inaccess to deploy Unity platform in hybrid PV+Wind 100MW Dutch project

As renewable energy penetration increases, many grid operators and consequently developers are facing challenges due to reduced grid capacity. The Netherlands is one of the countries dealing with such challenges stemming from the fast growth of its renewable energy sector during the last couple of years.

One of the solutions to circumvent grid congestion is to co-locate Solar and Wind plants. These types of generation assets complement each other very well since there is an abundance of solar energy during the day and in the summer months while there is plenty of wind during the winter months.

This complementary nature of solar and wind can stabilize the intermittent nature of the energy production and maximize grid connection utilization, leading to significant benefits in terms of dispatchability, flexibility, and reliability.

Shell, as part of its global push in the renewable energy space, developed a hybrid asset in the Netherlands. The power plant consists of a 50MW photovoltaic power plant and a 50MW wind farm.

In order to control and monitor this complex project, Shell worked with Inaccess, a global leader in control and monitoring solutions for renewable energy projects. Building on their successful cooperation for utility-scale projects in Australia and the EMEA region, Shell and Inaccess will continue collaborating on a project pipeline in various countries.

The Unity system of Inaccess optimizes the operation of modern renewable power plants and portfolios encompassing PV, Batteries, Wind and Microgrids by offering:

  • Fine-tuned control: low-level distributed control architecture and grid interaction
  • Crystallizing and Centralizing by providing accurate data acquisition and scalability
  • Maximizing energy production by identifying and evaluating cases of underperformance
  • Optimizing market revenues by minimizing imbalance costs and maximizing Energy Capture Price

The integrated nature of the Unity system ensures “no-excuses” accurate monitoring, control and optimization and acts as the single version of truth among the EPC, O&M, Asset Management, and Market Management ecosystem, thus eliminating inefficiencies.

Co-locating wind farms with solar assets provides more grid-friendly power that is necessary in today’s congested grids. This pairing has the potential to disrupt and transform many renewable energy markets globally that are facing similar challenges.

About Shell

Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. For further information, visit www.shell.com.

Globally, Shell is building an integrated power business that will provide customers with low-carbon and renewable energy solutions. Shell Renewables and Energy Solutions spans trading, generation and supply. We offer integrated energy solutions including hydrogen, solar, wind and electric-vehicle charging at scale, while buying nature-based carbon credits and using technology to capture emissions from hard-to-abate sectors of the energy system. Today Shell has deployed or is developing more than 6 gigawatts of wind power generation capacity across North America, Europe, the UK and Asia, and in January 2022 Shell secured the seabed leases to develop up to 5 gigawatts of floating offshore wind in the ScotWind leasing round.

Shell’s target is to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050. For more information on our net-zero emissions customer-first strategy visit here.

About Inaccess

With a global presence, Inaccess is an innovative company providing centralized management solutions for Renewable Energy and Telecom infrastructure, mostly offered on a turn-key basis.

Inaccess is one of the largest independent solar SCADA leaders in the world with a cumulative portfolio of more than 30 GWp across more than 2500 sites and 57 countries. Our singular focus is to provide high-quality solutions to our clients (EPCs, O&Ms, Developers, and Funds) for better and effective management of their renewable assets.

Inaccess has the team capacity to implement the Plant SCADA system in many plants in parallel, allowing us to deliver several GWs in solar and storage projects annually around the world.

The Inaccess group is acknowledged as one of the leading independent monitoring providers for the utility-scale PV and Battery Storage segment globally. Inaccess has significant activity in wind, hybrid, mini-grid, and off-grid RES projects as well.

Major RES input lowers electricity price to near zero Sunday afternoon

Greatly increased renewable energy contributions – covering over 80 percent of demand – during yesterday’s weekend siesta hours of 2pm to 5pm pushed down the wholesale electricity price to virtually zero, or 0.09 euros per MWh.

RES input reached approximately 5 GW (wind and solar energy units), while demand was limited to just over 6 GW, enabling authorities to withdraw from the market lignite and gas-fired power stations.

On the same day, when RES input eventually fell and gas-fired power station contributions were brought back into the grid, the electricity price level rebounded to 283 euros per MWh by the evening.

The wholesale electricity price averaged 168.22 euros per MWh on Sunday, a 27 percent reduction compared to Saturday.

Similar price fluctuations were also recorded in other parts of Europe over the weekend. Negative prices were recorded in Germany and the Netherlands, at -2.49 euros per MWh, and they were even lower in Belgium, at -17.97 euros per MWh. These negative prices essentially mean that consumers are paid to use electricity.

Today, electricity market conditions are back to the ongoing energy crisis’ normal levels. The average wholesale electricity price is at 243.08 euros per MWh, up 44.5 percent compared to yesterday, despite RES input representing 51.1 percent of the energy mix.

Colder weather a first test for European energy system

Falling temperatures in Europe, particularly at central and western regions, have increased electricity and natural gas demand for household heating needs, representing a crash test for the European energy system, interlinked and influencing market conditions from one country to another.

Wholesale electricity price levels have risen to record levels in France and Germany, currently experiencing sub-zero Celsius temperatures.

Besides the sudden drop in temperatures, windless conditions are depriving the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany of wind-based generation, down by at least 15 to 20 GW today, according to market data.

Subsequently, the energy mix of these countries and the EU as a whole has increased in cost as the mix is now dominated by natural gas, on a record-breaking price surge in recent months.

This has prompted wholesale electricity price increases throughout Europe. In Greece, day-ahead market prices for today are at 281.03 euros per MWh, a new record for the country following a rise for a fourth consecutive day.

German wholesale electricity prices have also struck a new record level today, reaching 273.89 euros per MWh, up 13.9 percent in a day. Dutch wholesale electricity prices rose 15.5 percent in a day to reach 254.01 euros per MWh. In France, the average wholesale electricity price for today is 295.82 euros per MWh. The highest price level in Europe was recorded in Serbia, reaching 310.63 euros per MWh.

Meteorologists have forecast a heavy winter. Greek officials are awaiting energy price levels for the rest of November before they decide on whether to increase current electricity subsidy levels.

 

 

 

EC examining compensation bid for PPC lignite closures

The government, determined to ensure compensation for state-controlled power utility PPC over its decision to prematurely close down its lignite-fired power stations, is seeking a solution through the European framework of options, an energy ministry announcement has informed.

The Greek State has submitted a compensation request to cover extraordinary costs related to the premature closure of four PPC lignite mines and lignite fired power stations, the ministry’s announcement noted.

European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, also Brussels’ Commissioner for Competition, has informed that the Commission views favorably the Greek initiative for a premature closure of these lignite facilities and is now examining the legal grounds of the compensation request, the energy ministry’s announcement added.

The Greek government wants compensation for PPC as the utility’s outgoing units have potential for a longer life, meaning PPC is being deprived of further earnings through these facilities.

A successful Greek compensation bid could also help cover extraordinary costs linked to the restructuring of lignite-dependent local economies.

The energy ministry is basing Greece’s compensation bid on a recent European Commission decision approving 52.5 million euros for the Netherlands as compensation for the premature closure of its Hemweg coal-fired power station.

The Netherlands has implemented law forbidding the use of coal for electricity generation beyond January 1, 2030.

Three key factors pivotal for offshore wind farm development

Spatial planning-licensing, grid connectivity and the remuneration formula for investors are three key factors pivotal to the development of the country’s offshore wind farm industry, investors and authorities agree.

Speaking at an event staged yesterday by ELETAEN, the Greek Wind Energy Association, the energy ministry’s secretary-general Alexandra Sdoukou stressed that the right formula for the sector’s development needs to be based on these three factors.

This industry’s course abroad, so far, has shown that a variety of options can be adopted for each of these factors. Fellow European countries have followed a range of paths, often contradictory. Greece’s energy ministry will need to seek solutions that best suit local conditions.

The spatial planning-licensing options range from a liberal model adopted by the UK, offering offshore wind farm investors maximum freedom to develop their investment plans, as they deem best, including in choice of appropriate location for maximum commercial potential, and, at the other end, a state-regulated model, as practiced in countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands. In this latter case, state regulatory authorities are responsible for determining installation locations and capacities, through studies of their own, before staging auctions.

ELETAEN’s proposal favors a mixed approach, through which the state would initiate the process by allotting wider areas for offshore wind farm development.

The wind energy association also favors a mixed approach for network connectivity that would require power grid operator IPTO to develop main lines in areas designated by the state for offshore wind farm installations.

Local authorities and players still appear to disagree on whether non-auction fixed tariffs will need to be offered to investors as a catalyst for this industry during its early stage of development.

Sdoukou, the energy ministry’s secretary-general, did not rule out such an approach at yesterday’s ELETAEN event. But, regardless of whether a preliminary stage of non-auction fixed tariffs will be offered, all sides seem to agree that tariffs, later on, will be exclusively made available to offshore wind farm investors through auctions.

 

Greece climbs up to 12th place in EU electricity tariff cost rankings

Greece has climbed seven places, to 12th from 19th, in the EU rankings for retail electricity cost, pushed higher by a government decision reached last year to increase tariffs at state-owned power utility PPC, according to latest Eurostat data.

These tariff hikes at PPC were imposed by the government in August, 2019 to protect the utility from falling into bankruptcy.

The EU rankings concern electricity price levels for household consumption levels between 2,500 to 5,000 kWh, annually.

Electricity tariff increases for households in Greece rose by an average of 8.6 percent in the first half of 2020, compared to the previous half, when the country was ranked 19th.

The first-half tariff price for households averaged € 0.129 per KWh, not including taxes and surcharges, up from €0.1189 per KWh in the second half of 2019.

PPC remains Greece’s dominant supplier, representing 63 percent of electricity consumption.

The PPC tariff increase has made electricity more expensive in Greece than in countries with higher income per capita levels. Electricity is now more expensive in Greece than in France (€ 0.1247 per KWh), Finland (€ 0.1178 per KWh), Spain (€ 0.1178 per KWh) and Sweden (€ 0.1130 per KWh), all with higher income levels. Electricity is also more expensive in Greece than in Portugal (€0.1139 per KWh).

Despite the country’s rankings rise, electricity prices in Greece remain below the EU average (€0.1327 per MWh), a result of the competition generated by independent suppliers, subduing prices.

The biggest electricity tariff decreases in the first half of 2020, compared to the previous six-month period, were recorded by the Netherlands (-31%), Latvia (-12.8%), Slovenia (-11.4%), Sweden (-10%) and Estonia (-8.9%), the Eurostat data showed.

PPC awaiting Brussels verdict on lignite unit exit compensation

The European Commission could reach a decision by the end of November on an energy ministry request seeking compensation for state-controlled power utility PPC’s plan to withdrawal lignite-fired power stations ahead of schedule.

The ministry has requested a compensation package of 180, 150 and 200 million euros for 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively, for the power utility.

European Commission officials are currently closely examining the data and information accompanying the Greek application, energypress sources informed.

At best, a decision could be delivered in approximately three weeks, the sources estimated, adding that the Greek request has been favorably received.

Last May, the European Commission released a 52.5 million-euro compensation package to the Netherlands for the country’s premature closure of its Hemweg coal-fired facilities.

Greek officials had initially sought, quite some time ago, the approval of a cost recovery mechanism for PPC’s lignite-fired units, implemented in Germany as a strategic reserve capacity.

This proved too complex, prompting Greek officials to shift their focus onto the current compensation request for the country’s effort to decarbonize.

The European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager declared, in May, when the Hemweg compensation bid was approved, that EU member states must be compensated for their decarbonization efforts, adding that the Dutch compensation amount does not cause European market distortions.

PPC’s lignite unit losses are reported to have reached 300 million euros last year. The utility is seeking to limit such losses by closing such units sooner than planned.

PPC has announced its Megalopoli III facility will be shut down six months earlier, in the first half of 2021 instead of early 2022. If accomplished, this closure will represent PPC’s second PPC lignite unit withdrawal following Amynteo, closed down in May.

The utility intends to push for a swifter withdrawal of all other lignite-fired units, except Ptolemaida V.

Brussels considering PPC compensation for lignite units

Certain European Commission officials are believed to be considering a compensation request made by power utility PPC for its three-year phase-out, between 2021 and 2023, of all existing lignite-fired power stations, severely burdened by elevated CO2 emission right costs.

Brussels officials had flatly rejected a compensation request made by PPC nearly a year ago. However, a shift by Brussels has become apparent in recognition of the Greek decarbonization effort’s progress.

The European Commission has offered compensation elsewhere for lignite units withdrawals. Last May, Brussels made available compensation worth 52.5 million euros for the Netherlands as a result of the country’s premature closure of its Hemweg coal-fired facilities.

At the time, the European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager had declared EU member states may need to compensate companies for their efforts to end their coal reliance, adding that the Dutch compensation amount does not threaten to cause market distortions at a European level.

PPC officials expect European Commission developments on the issue during the final quarter of this year.

Taking into account Brussels’ handling of such issues in the past, PPC officials also believe an antitrust case concerning the Greek power utility’s lignite monopoly and the corporation’s compensation request could be resolved simultaneously.

Dutch offshore wind energy experience a guide for Greece

Local authorities and investors have turned to the Netherlands for information on the development of offshore wind energy parks.

Offshore wind energy parks in the Netherlands currently represent a capacity of 1 GW, expected to soon rise to 2.5 GW.

Local interest in this RES technology is growing, as highlighted by ongoing talks and public consultation for a related legal and regulatory framework.

In addition, the economic and commercial affairs department of the Greek Embassy in The Hague has prepared a detailed report on the Dutch wind energy sector, focused on offshore wind energy parks.

The Dutch government offers a number of competitive incentives to stimulate energy innovation and promote RES use, which, as a result, has strengthened the country’s position in RES research and development and in particular in wind turbine technology, the report notes.

This is further strengthened by strategic public-private partnerships and world-class institutions such as the Top Consortium for Offshore Winds (TKI Wind op Zee), the Energy Research Center (ECN) and Delft University of Technology, a leading specialist, worldwide, in the field of renewable energy, the report added.

 

RES auctions postponed throughout Europe

Governments throughout Europe are postponing RES auctions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on markets.

Germany, France and Ireland have already taken steps back to protect new RES projects, currently at various development stages, according to a Green Tech Media report.

Germany had planned seven RES auctions for this year. The country has so far offered 400 MW for solar energy projects and 675 MW for wind farms, while a further 2.9 GW for onshore wind farms and 1.4 GW for solar energy facilities remain pending. Strong investment interest had been expressed prior to the postponements.

In France, a RES auction for solar energy projects has been postponed by two months. In Ireland, a session that had been planned for April 2 has now been rescheduled for April 30. Portugal has also postponed a RES auction offering 700 MW for solar energy projects.

On the contrary, Dutch authorities intend to press ahead with a RES auction at the end of this month, offering 700 MW for wind farms. Swedish multinational power company Vattenfall’s Dutch subsidiary has announced it will not participate.

 

 

 

Improved Gazprom deal raises DEPA in the eyes of investors

Lower-price deals sealed or about to be sealed between gas utility DEPA and its international suppliers are among the factors the government is relying on for a successful privatization procedure of the gas utility, a procedure launched yesterday, beginning with DEPA Trade, one of DEPA’s two new entities formed for the sale.

DEPA is believed to have renegotiated a far more favorable supply deal with Russia’s Gazprom, the Greek utility’s biggest supplier.

Forty percent of DEPA’s natural gas orders from Gazprom will no longer be pegged to fluctuating international oil prices. Instead, this percentage of DEPA’s Gazprom orders will be linked to price levels of Dutch gas trading platform TTF, one of Europe’s biggest hubs. Just days ago, prices at TTF were about half those of pipeline gas. The other 60 percent of DEPA’s orders with Gazprom will remain oil indexed.

This development promises to make DEPA’s supply deals with Gazprom far more competitive. Prospective bidders already appear to be warming to the prospect.

Major Greek corporate groups such as Mytilineos, Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) – already holding a 35 percent stake in DEPA and considering teaming up with its Elpedison partner Edison for the DEPA sale – GEK Terna and Motor Oil are believed to be gearing up for bids. The Copelouzos group’s involvement in the DEPA Trade sale is considered certain – in a partnership with Czech entrepreneur Karel Komarek, holding a key stake in Greek lottery OPAP.

JinkoSolar supplies 40 MW to Obton for Almelo Project in the Netherlands

JinkoSolar, one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, has announced that its affiliate has supplied approximately 40 MW of its ultra-high efficiency Cheetah HC 60 solar modules to Obton, one of the leading global developers and investors of photovoltaic solar energy. These modules were installed in the Almelo project in the Netherlands during the summer of 2019.

Anders Marcus, CEO of Obton, commented: “We are extremely proud of our role in helping the Netherlands transition towards renewable energy. The country is making significant progress towards a greener future and partnering with a globally respected firm such as JinkoSolar will allow us to push the development of solar energy to new heights.”

“We are very pleased to work with Obton, which I believe reflects the trust and confidence they have in us as their key supplier partner,” commented Frank Niendorf, General Manager Europe for JinkoSolar. “Our hero products, Cheetah HC and Cheetah Plus, account for a significant share of the Dutch PV market in 2019 and are helping create new growth opportunities for us next year.”

“Obton was looking for a bankable supplier and first-class products in terms of quality and LCOE for their Almelo project and chose our high efficiency Cheetah HC modules to increase IRR of the project by lowering CAPEX and pushing yield upwards,” added Arda Kristaporyan, Country Manager of Netherlands for JinkoSolar.

DEPA awaiting Gazprom news for lower gas price, LNG a market hit

Gas utility DEPA, which has asked for a lower natural gas supply price from Gazprom, can expect a response around June 15, the Russian gas giant has informed.

DEPA was driven to action by extremely low spot-market prices for LNG currently available in Europe.

Major European hubs, such as the TTF facility in the Netherlands, are currently offering prices of 10.928 euros per MWh, compared to Gazprom’s supply contract for the Balkans, including Greece, of approximately 20 euros per MWh.

It remains to be seen how DEPA will respond if the price-related news from Gazprom is not favorable.

LNG is projected to have captured roughly 55 percent of western European energy markets five years from now, up from approximately 40 percent last year, authorities told a recent forum in Brussels.

According to the World Energy Council, LNG will capture a 51 percent share of the global market by 2025, from 25 percent in 2000 and 45 percent in 2018, as a result of new production line investments in the USA, Qatar and Australia.

Lower LNG prices have coincided with an upgrade at the LNG terminal on Revythoussa, an islet just off Athens, resulting in its capacity increase to 220,000 cubic meters. This has enabled bigger incoming shipments.

So far this year, LNG shipments have arrived from Qatar and the USA. More are expected.

Meanwhile, DEPA’s domestic market share for LNG supply is on a downward trajectory and currently at around 30 percent as a result of intensifying competition.