In Week 04 of 2025, electricity prices in Southeast Europe (SEE) saw an upward trend due to higher demand and a decline in wind energy production. All SEE markets experienced price increases, with Hungary and Croatia registering the largest hikes at 10.30% and 7.74%, respectively. Other markets, including Bulgaria and Romania, also saw significant increases of 7.24% and 7.23%, respectively. Serbia recorded the smallest price increase of 2.05%.
The fourth week of 2025 showed mixed electricity pricing trends in Central Europe. While gas prices dropped due to milder temperatures and higher wind energy generation, the overall electricity prices remained above €100/MWh. In Central Europe, prices ranged between €113 and €168/MWh, with Slovenia experiencing the highest prices at €168.46/MWh, a 11.16% increase compared to the previous week. France remained the cheapest, with prices at €113.11/MWh, down 17.86%. Across Europe, weekly prices fluctuated between €102.91/MWh in Portugal and €171.11/MWh in Hungary.
In Southern Europe, all SEE countries, except Turkey, saw electricity prices exceeding €150/MWh. Prices varied from €70 to €171/MWh, with Turkey remaining the cheapest at €69.76/MWh. Italy followed closely at €153.97/MWh, making it the second-lowest market in the SEE region. Hungary topped the SEE region in Week 04 with an average price of €171.11/MWh, a 10.31% increase from the previous week, while Romania posted the second-highest price at €168.43/MWh.
Electricity demand in the SEE region rose by 5.47% compared to Week 03 of 2025, with Greece experiencing the largest increase at 8.79%, followed by Italy at 7.37% and Bulgaria at 6.33%. Serbia, Croatia, and Turkey saw smaller increases in demand, at 4.72%, 4.31%, and 4.95%, respectively.
Variable renewable energy output in SEE markets dropped by 32.6%, reaching 1,166.21 GWh, with wind generation down by 40.5% and solar output falling slightly by 0.8%. The decline was largely driven by weak wind conditions across the region, although Hungary and Croatia saw some recovery in wind production. Solar power output also decreased in Romania, Greece, and Croatia by 22.7%, 14.3%, and 2.0%, respectively.
Hydropower output in the region fell by 3.37%, amounting to 1,703.30 GWh, with Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania experiencing reductions in hydropower generation. Conversely, Croatia and Greece saw slight increases in their hydropower output.
Thermal power generation rose by 5.01%, bringing SEE region output to 7,120.50 GWh. This was driven by a 5.01% increase in thermal generation, despite a 0.13% drop in coal-fired generation. Gas-fired generation surged by 11.26%, totaling 3,403.52 GWh. Türkiye saw notable increases in both coal and gas-fired generation, while Greece saw a significant rise in lignite and gas generation.
Regarding cross-border electricity trade, net imports increased by 8.33% across SEE markets, totaling 1,427.39 GWh. In contrast, net exports decreased by 9.9%, with electricity imports up by 5.3%, amounting to 1,678.29 GWh. Serbia and Hungary reported lower net imports, while Romania, Croatia, and Italy saw higher imports. Türkiye and Greece recorded lower net exports, with Türkiye’s exports down by 17.98%, and Greece’s exports declining to 116.71 GWh. Bulgaria maintained its exporting position with 40.95 GWh exported.
