Energy price on OPCOM exchange double from previous Monday, highest in the region
The price of electricity on the spot market (day-ahead market) of the OPCOM energy exchange is an average of 326 lei per MWh this Monday, more than twice the average figure of 145 lei per Mwh one week ago, shows data released by the market operator.
The price will peak at 570 lei per MWh this evening between 17:00 and 19:00 hrs.
Wind power output that usually lowers the exchange price was this Monday at a meager 535 MW at 10:30 hrs, but hydropower — which is also cheap energy — is on top of the energy sources with 2,208 MW, shows real time data released on the website of national transmission system operator Transelectrica.
On Monday morning at 10:30 hrs the country's energy output was as follows: 27.98 percent hydropower — 2,208 MW; 26.03 percent coal power — 2,054 MW; 17.46 percent nuclear energy — 1,378 MW; 17.18 percent hydrocarbon power — 1,356 MW; 6.78 percent wind power — 535 MW; 3.97 percent photovoltaic energy — 313 MW; 0.60 percent biomass energy — 47 MW.
Last Monday when the day-ahead price was just 145 lei per MWh, the wind power output was 2,245 MW.
National consumption this Monday at 10:30 hours stood at 8,092 MW, higher than the output of 7,903 MW. Energy imports accounted for the difference of 190 MW. The fact that Romania resorts to energy from abroad shows that the price on the domestic market would have been even higher without these imports.
Romania's spot energy market is connected to the peer markets in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. OPCOM data also shows that this Monday Romania will reach a regional peak between 14:00 and 22:00 hrs. Thus, at peak hour when in Romania one MWh will cost 124 euro, electricity in Hungary and Slovakia will be priced at 100 euro per MWh, and 79 euro per MWh in the Czech Republic.