EUROPE POWER: Spot slides on increased wind
European spot electricity prices for day-ahead delivery fell on Monday, pressured by increased wind power supply, while the June and July contracts gained on a warm and dry weather forecast.
* The German baseload spot power price for Tuesday delivery stood at 33.70 euros ($37.85) per megawatt-hour (MWh), down 1.80 euros from the price paid on Friday for Monday delivery.
* The French contract for Tuesday delivery clawed back earlier losses and was down 1.75 euros at 34.25 euros/MWh.
* French power contracts for delivery in the summer months rose on forecasts for warmer and drier weather during those months, a trader said.
* The contract for June delivery gained 5 percent to 34.65 euros/MWh and July added 5.4 percent to 36.10 euros/MWh. German summer contracts also posted gains.
* German wind power production for Tuesday is forecast to rise by 4.5 gigawatts (GW) day on day to 6.8 GW, Thomson Reuters data shows.
* In France, wind power output is expected to rise by about 700 MW to 2.1 GW, the data showed.
* French nuclear power availability is seen at 67.28 percent of capacity, down from 74.55 percent on Friday, after three reactors started planned maintenance. A fourth -- the 1,300 MW Cattenom 1 reactor -- had an unscheduled outage on May 19 and was due to resume on May 26.
* On the forward power curve, the German Cal '18 benchmark rose 18 cents to a five-week high of 29.90 euros/MWh, tracking gains in oil, carbon and coal.
* The equivalent French contract hit a seven-week high, up 0.28 percent at 36.10 euros.
* Dec' 17 expiry EU carbon gained 2.43 percent to 4.97 euros a tonne, while coal cif North Europe for 2018 rose 0.45 percent to $66.40 a tonne.
* In eastern Europe, the Czech day-ahead contract for Tuesday gained 9.64 euros to 42 euros/MWh. The year-ahead contract rose 1.17 percent to 30.25 euros/MWh. ($1 = 0.8903 euros)
(Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by David Goodman)
