Italy remained Southeast Europe’s most expensive electricity market in the week ending 20 September, maintaining a strong price signal for imports even as domestic demand and net electricity imports declined.
Italian day-ahead electricity prices averaged €215.82/MWh, marking a 2.51% increase from the previous week. The average was around €60/MWh higher than Greece and €34/MWh above Hungary, keeping Italy at the top of the regional price range.
Italy also remained the largest net electricity importer among the markets covered, with net imports of 926.37 GWh. However, that figure was 17.77% lower than the previous week, indicating that the country’s high prices did not translate into higher overall import volumes.
Electricity demand fell 9.21% to 5,391.13 GWh, representing the largest absolute weekly decline among the countries in the report. At the same time, gas-fired generation decreased 10.86%, contributing to an 8.87% reduction in total thermal power output.
The combination of high prices and lower imports highlights the importance of looking beyond headline price differences when assessing cross-border electricity trade. Export opportunities into Italy depend on interconnector capacity, hourly market spreads, generation availability and domestic requirements in neighbouring markets.
Italy’s price premium remained significant despite weaker demand during the week. For Southeast European producers and traders, the market continues to offer a notable price signal, although the actual value of exports ultimately depends on available transmission capacity and prices at the time of delivery.
By Virtu.Energy
