Prompt Prices Ease on Falling Demand, Mild Weather
- Hungarian spot premium persists
- Wind generation forecast to fall to 3.3 GW
Central European day ahead power drifted lower on Friday, pushed down by falling weekend consumption and mild temperatures, traders said.
On regional exchanges, Czech electricity and Slovak electricity for Saturday fell 12 percent to 32.28 euros ($40.86) per megawatt hour. Day-ahead power on Hungary's HUPX dipped 12 percent to 41.43 to maintain a big regional premium.
Hungarian spot prices have traded well above their Czech and Slovak counterparts in recent months due to limited import capacity and power plant outages.
Wind generation in Germany is forecast to fall about 1 gigawatt (GW) to 3.3 GW on Saturday with solar production ticking about 600 megawatts (MW) higher to 2.2 GW, according to data from Thomson Reuters Point Carbon.
Further along the curve, the Czech Cal '15 shed 5 cents to 33.75 euros and the Hungarian front year held steady at 43.15 euros. The benchmark German Cal '15 contract eased 5 cents to 34.20 euros in afternoon trade on Germany's EEX exchange.
Around the region, Czech electricity producer CEZ may delay decommissioning some units at its Bulgarian coal-burning plant in Varna beyond the year-end because it might get an exemption from EU environmental rules, Chief Executive Daniel Benes said.
Day-ahead prices on Poland's POLPX exchange declined to 142.91 zlotys ($42.93) from 173.74 zlotys as bourse data showed planned and unplanned outages would hold steady at 5.3 GW from a day earlier.
Brent crude fell to $86 a barrel after a confirmed case of Ebola in New York raised fears of travel restrictions that could trim jet fuel demand, and poor economic growth expectations weighed on projected oil consumption.
European carbon futures were up 3 cents at 6.38 euros a tonne in afternoon trading.
(1 US dollar = 0.7900 euro) (1 US dollar = 3.3286 Polish zloty)
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
