After a period of relatively stable high prices for electricity, the market has shifted considerably in recent days. The price took a big step back. Due to the Easter weekend, there was less demand for electricity, while there was a lot of supply of energy generated with solar panels. However, maintenance work on power stations causes a lot of imbalance on the grid.
The EPEX spot quote was quoted at €13 per MWh on Wednesday 239,05 April. But over the Easter weekend, that price more than halved. On Sunday 17 April, the electricity price was €108,06 per MWh. That is the lowest price in almost two months. A long weekend, combined with a large supply of electricity generated by solar panels, depressed prices. However, the dip appears to be short-lived. Today, Tuesday 19 April, the EPEX spot quotation is already significantly higher: €209,31 per MWh.
The relatively large supply of electricity generated by solar panels is also reflected in the 'intra-day' prices. In the middle of the day - when solar panels generate the most power - the price was recently at its lowest level. Prices were higher in the morning and evening hours. This is partly due to a lack of wind. That will also be a problem this week, provided the weather reports come out. In the fourteen-day forecast, the wind will not go beyond force 3.
Limited capacity
In addition, work is being carried out on conventional power stations in the Netherlands. Approximately 25% of the available capacity is out of service for maintenance. As a result, the Dutch electricity price was higher than in other European countries. The French production capacity of nuclear power plants is also lower than normal. A potential security risk was discovered last winter and work on a solution continues to affect the European energy market.