Analysis of the Western Balkans Power Market Prices within the ENTSO-E framework.

Abstract

This paper analysis the Western Balkan power market, taking in consideration 6 countries from the Area: Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. All these countries are members of the European Network of Transmission System Operators, an association of 43 electricity transmission system operators (TSOs) from 36 countries across Europe. Electricity production in the Western Balkans is CO2 intensive, as most countries in the region use domestic lignite (brown coal) reserves to generate electricity. Greenhouse gas emissions show a distinct pattern: overall per capita emissions are significantly below the level of most developed countries, but electricity sector emissions per unit of output are higher due to the high share of lignite and hard-coal in the power. The Western Balkan countries have difference composition of their electricity supply mainly based on hydropower generation or thermo power generation. Currentlty this systems face market inefficiencies and power outages. The aim of these models is to show how the hydroelectric generators of some countries can use their water storage capacities strategically to mainly affect off-peak prices, while heat generators of other countries can manage their capacity strategically to influence peak prices. The potential of regional coordination has been highlighted also by the European Commission within the recent legislative proposal, “Clean Energy Package for All Europeans”. The aim of this paper, is to raise awareness on the need to have more regulatory alignment in the Western Balkan region to remove the economic and political barriers between these countries.

Keywords: electricity market, energy planning, EU integration, power outage, barriers.

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