During Week 16 of 2025, electricity prices in the Southeast European (SEE) countries dropped across the board, influenced by a decline in electricity demand. Solar energy production also increased in most of the analysed markets.
The week started with prices above €100/MWh but followed a downward trend throughout, ultimately dropping below €90/MWh by Sunday, April 20. Bulgaria and Greece saw the most significant price reductions, with drops of 13.95% and 13.80%, respectively. Romania and Serbia followed with declines of 13.58% and 11.20%. Croatia and Turkey experienced smaller drops, at 7.56% and 7.08%, respectively, while Italy saw only a marginal price decrease of 0.57%.
In Central Europe, weekly average spot electricity prices fell significantly during the third week of April 2025. Prices dropped below €90/MWh in major Central European countries due to lower electricity demand, which was further aided by higher temperatures. Slovakia remained the most expensive market at €86.51/MWh, 4.77% lower compared to Week 15, followed by Switzerland at €86.01/MWh. France had the lowest prices at €36.88/MWh, down 4.33% from the previous week.
Across Europe, the weekly average prices hovered around €75/MWh, ranging from €12.90/MWh in Portugal to €101.87/MWh in Italy. In the MIBEL market, the prices dropped significantly, with Portugal and Spain seeing reductions of 58.51% and 56.50%, respectively, settling at €12.90/MWh and €13.59/MWh. In the southern part of Europe, all SEE countries saw prices below €90/MWh, except for Italy. Prices ranged from €62/MWh to €102/MWh, with Turkey recording the lowest price at €61.90/MWh, while Bulgaria was the second cheapest at €101.87/MWh. Italy had the highest price at €101.87/MWh, a slight decrease of 0.52% compared to the previous week. Most SEE electricity markets recorded their highest prices on Monday, April 14, with the lowest prices on Sunday, April 20.
In Week 16, electricity demand across the SEE countries dropped, registering losses in all markets due to high temperatures and clear skies, which reduced the need for heating. Additionally, Week 16 coincided with the Easter holidays, as both Orthodox and Catholic Easter were celebrated on the same day. Total electricity demand in SEE decreased by 11.37%, falling to 14,625.23 GWh. Hungary recorded the largest decline at 27.80%, followed by Bulgaria and Serbia with drops of 26.67% and 24.70%, respectively. Romania, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, and Italy also saw lower demand by 22.05%, 12.81%, 10.14%, 7.55%, and 5.60%, respectively.
Renewable energy production in SEE saw mixed results in Week 16. Wind generation decreased by 30.0%, totaling 1,036.71 GWh, as wind speeds dropped in most countries. Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria saw reductions in wind output by 70.6%, 46.0%, and 27.8%, respectively, while Croatia and Italy saw substantial increases in wind generation, with growths of 69.4% and 73.6%, respectively. Solar energy output increased by 2.8%, reaching 953.02 GWh. Greece saw the largest increase in solar generation, up 40.3%, followed by Turkey with a 35.1% rise.
Hydropower production, on the other hand, dropped by 6.76%, totaling 2,302.66 GWh. Bulgaria and Serbia experienced the most significant decreases in hydropower generation, with declines of 30.66% and 27.63%, respectively. Romania and Greece also saw reductions of 11.73% and 9.61%, respectively. In contrast, Croatia, Italy, and Hungary saw increases in hydropower generation, with Croatia leading the way with a surge of 260.51%.
Thermal power generation in SEE decreased by 9.80% compared to Week 15, amounting to 5,655.12 GWh. This drop followed a 2.38% decline in coal-fired generation, which totaled 2,423.02 GWh, and a 14.67% reduction in gas-fired generation, which came to 3,232.11 GWh. Turkey experienced a 4.30% increase in coal-fired generation, while gas-fired generation decreased by 3.84%. Greece also saw a 7.81% increase in lignite-fired electricity generation, though gas-fired generation dropped by 9.53%. Bulgaria experienced reductions in both coal and gas generation by 23.11% and 13.32%, respectively. Italy saw lower coal and gas generation by 9.24% and 20.97%, respectively.
Cross-border electricity trade decreased by 11.69% in Week 16, with a total of 1,129.45 GWh. The SEE region exported 81.7% more electricity, totaling 104.04 GWh, while imports fell by 7.7%, amounting to 1,233.49 GWh. Serbia, Romania, and Italy saw reductions in net imports, with decreases of 75.20%, 46.56%, and 4.95%, respectively. Greece saw a surge in net imports by 33.86%. Turkey switched from being a net exporter to a net importer, with imports of 21.49 GWh. On the export side, Bulgaria recorded a significant increase in exports, rising by 135.07%.
