Spark Spreads push Power curve to new highs

16 May 2005

One spark and the whole lot goes up........

Winter 05 baseload broke through £47/MWh to push to new highs, with Spark spreads being sighted as the main cause. With emissions prices at €15/tonne, the spark spread has to widen to make money, although spark spreads are relatively high at £6.30 they will only just cover emissions costs. It appears that the power producers are treating emissions as an opportunity cost and so fully valuing the price as binary option of either we use allowances or we don't. If prices go too high, then watch players sell emissions and gas not generate. This will for a small while temporarily push the spark spread wider and players will lock in at these levels in volume, and then wait for power prices to fall. The market is still very bullish but the rises are soon going to be unsustainable.


Carbon  Gas  Bull Market  Spread 

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