During the week of December 16, electricity demand decreased across all major European electricity markets compared to the previous week, reversing the upward trend seen in the prior week. The exception to this was the Italian market, which continued its decline. The Dutch market experienced the largest drop, with a 12% decrease, followed by the UK, which saw a 9.5% decline. Other markets, including Belgium, Italy, Germany, and France, recorded drops ranging from 2.9% in Belgium to 7.5% in France. The Iberian Peninsula saw the smallest decreases, with Spain down by 1.8% and Portugal by 0.5%.
During this period, average temperatures rose in most of the markets analyzed. Belgium saw the most significant increase in temperatures, rising by 4.6°C, while the UK recorded the smallest increase at 2.0°C. France, Germany, and the Netherlands had temperature increases ranging from 3.0°C in France to 4.3°C in Germany. In the Iberian Peninsula, temperatures rose by 2.2°C in Portugal and 2.1°C in Spain, while Italy saw little change in temperatures compared to the previous week.
Looking ahead to the fourth week of December, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s demand forecasts predict further decreases in electricity demand across all analyzed European markets, driven by reduced work activity during the Christmas holiday period, AleaSoft reports.