As of the week ending March 23, electricity demand has seen a notable increase across several major European markets, marking a rebound from the previous week’s decline. The French market led this trend with a significant rise of 4.4%. Other countries also reported growth, albeit at lower rates, with Belgium’s demand increasing by 2.2%, Germany by 1.7%, and Great Britain by 1.4%. Meanwhile, Italy’s demand remained relatively unchanged during this period.
Contrastingly, the Iberian Peninsula exhibited a different pattern. Portugal experienced its second consecutive weekly decline in electricity demand, plummeting by 8.1%. Similarly, Spain recorded its third straight weekly decrease with a drop of 1.6%. These developments highlight a divergence from the broader upward trend observed in other parts of Europe.
Accompanying these demand fluctuations were changes in average temperatures across the analyzed regions. Most markets experienced a decrease in temperatures, which likely influenced energy consumption patterns. Specifically, temperature reductions varied from 0.5°C in Italy to 2.1°C in France, while Portugal maintained relatively stable temperatures compared to the prior week.
Looking ahead to the week of March 30, forecasts from AleaSoft Energy Forecasting indicate a potential reversal of the recent upward trend in electricity demand. The projections suggest that demand is expected to decline across key European markets, signaling possible shifts in consumption patterns as spring approaches.
