Short term still influencing long term

17 April 2007

The emissions market is still having a significant effect on the forward curve as players are still happy to pay some premiums associated with buying forward.

The EU ETS in some respects is not helping the forward curve. If we consider that the current scheme expires at the end of 2007 with EUA's trading at just below €1 and then wake up on 1st January 2008 and EUA's cost just under €18 then we can see that there is a significant fractional break.

This explains easily why the curve starts off in contango going from Summer 07 prices at £24 to Summer 08 prices £34. All the evidence suggests that the cost of carbon in a £/MWh calculation is closer to £5 (on a gas clean spark spread) if we were to apply the same number for coal then this would equate to £8, so the ten pound differential is caused by the a mixture of coal and gas (lets say 50%) £6.25 hike in carbon costs and a £3.75 in premia for buying forward.

The problem is that the emissions market has risen from €15.50 to €17.80  and is danger of players over buying early as of course the NAPs at first glance look tight. BUt we are seeing many more players in the market looking at selling and the world-wide market and supply of CERS is keeping a firm lid on emissions.


Carbon  Contango  Forward Curve 

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