Zero wind over large parts of Europe pushes electricity prices up.

Wind calm over large parts of Europe drives up electricity prices

Power plants will have to be activated to provide sufficient electricity, leading to high electricity prices on Wednesday.

Little or no wind over Europe is expected to drive electricity prices up on Wednesday, according to industry sources. (Photo: © Thomas Traasdahl, Ritzau Scanpix)

By Ritzau ( mailto:[email protected] ) 5 minutes ago

There's no need to vacuum the furnace or put a large washer on yet.

There is a likelihood of unusually high electricity prices, which will exceed 6 Danish crowns per kilowatt-hour including taxes, fees, and tariffs in the late afternoon.

This is an unusual situation, according to Kristian Rune Poulsen, Chief Consultant at Green Power Denmark, the energy sector's industry organization.

- These are very high electricity prices we'll see on Wednesday. It's definitely not everyday pricing, and the high electricity price is from morning to evening, says Poulsen.

The lack of renewable energy such as solar and wind is causing high electricity prices not just in Denmark, but in several places in Europe.

- Normally, we get a lot of energy from wind power. But the wind is lying over Denmark and some of our neighboring countries.

- This means that we have to get the power from other places, and that coal- and oil-fired power plants are started up to deliver the last kilowatt-hour.

- And it's the power plant that delivers the last kilowatt-hour that sets the price, says Kristian Rune Poulsen.

The weak wind means that more power plants will have to be fired up. (Archive photo) (Photo: © Linda Kastrup, Scanpix Denmark)

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Still low compared to 2022

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Even though electricity prices are expected to surge on Wednesday, we should remember that prices have fallen significantly since 2022, which saw historically high electricity prices.

- When I look at the year as a whole, I'd say that electricity prices have normalized after the wild prices we saw during the energy crisis.

- We had almost the same situation we're seeing on Wednesday every day. Now we're seeing it less frequently, says Kristian Rune Poulsen.

He also reminds us that there have been record numbers of hours this year where electricity prices have been negative.

- On average, electricity prices have become more normal in the year. But we've also seen that price swings have become larger.

- This gives consumers some opportunities if they can move, for example, the dishwasher or the washing machine to cheaper time slots.

While Wednesday and the following days are expected to have weak winds, there is a forecast for stronger winds towards the end of the week.

According to the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), the wind is expected to pick up again by Sunday. There is a possibility of cooling down with strong wind gusts, according to DMI's website.

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