Electricity prices on Croatia’s CROPEX exchange rose in September, despite lower trading volumes compared with August, pushing up wholesale procurement costs while overall market activity remained well above year-earlier levels.
Total traded electricity reached 1.364 TWh, representing a 9.9% decline month on month but a 25% increase compared with September 2025. The day-ahead market accounted for 902.8 GWh, while intraday trading reached 461.1 GWh. Average daily day-ahead turnover stood at approximately 30.1 GWh.
The average day-ahead baseload price climbed 14% to €172.80/MWh, while the peak-load average increased by 15.7% to €143.86/MWh. The difference between the two price categories highlights the importance of matching procurement strategies to actual consumption patterns rather than relying solely on the monthly market average.
Peak-load electricity was approximately €28.94/MWh cheaper than baseload, while the intraday market recorded an average price of €175.40/MWh, slightly above the day-ahead baseload level.
CROPEX is jointly owned by Croatian transmission system operator HOPS and electricity market operator HROTE. Its day-ahead market started operating in 2016, followed by intraday trading in 2017 and market coupling through the Croatian-Slovenian border in 2018.
September’s results point to continued growth in CROPEX trading activity compared with last year, even as monthly volumes declined from August. At the same time, rising prices despite lower turnover underline the difference between market liquidity and the actual cost of securing electricity for consumers and suppliers.
