Gas-fired electricity generation across the Southeast European markets covered fell 13.60% in the week ending 20 September, declining at more than twice the rate of the region’s 6.37% drop in electricity demand.
Gas-fired output decreased to 3,444.30 GWh, from 3,986.41 GWh a week earlier. At the same time, coal and lignite generation increased 1.30% to 3,380.18 GWh, while total thermal generation declined 6.81% to 6,824.48 GWh.
The changes varied significantly across individual markets. Italy reduced gas-fired generation by 10.86%, while Greece recorded a 12.46% decline. Türkiye saw the largest reduction among the markets highlighted, with gas-fired output falling 26.16%. In Bulgaria, total thermal generation remained broadly stable as higher gas-fired production partly offset lower coal and lignite output.
The weekly figures indicate a shift in generation dispatch, but they do not mean that gas generation was directly replaced by coal or lignite in every market. Electricity demand, renewable and hydropower output, cross-border flows and individual plant economics all influence which generation sources are dispatched.
For the regional power market, the immediate signal was a lower reliance on gas-fired generation during the week. The sustainability of that trend will depend on demand, renewable availability and generation costs as Southeast European electricity consumption moves closer to the winter season.
By Virtu.Energy
