AUGUST 2018 ENERGY EXCHANGE: TRADE OVERVIEW

Record high activity was recorded in August in the BALTPOOL Biomass Exchange: compared to July, the trade turnover increased by 78%, 73% of concluded transactions accounted for long-term supply contracts for the 2018–2019 heating season, and the total amount of biomass purchased for the heating season by the end of the month accounted for 18% of the required amount of biomass.

In August, the average price of biomass purchased for the forthcoming heating season, compared to the average supply price of the previous season (180.98 EUR/toe), increased by 21% and amounted to 219.59 EUR/toe; the value of the BWCS Lithuania index, which covers one-week transactions, grew from 178.32 EUR/toe to 186.74 EUR/toe; and the prices under concluded long-term transactions changed from 185 EUR/toe to 265 EUR/toe.

This summer, heat producers placed 70% more orders in order to conclude transactions for the forthcoming heating season compared to the same period last year. Analysis of these two time periods shows that the value of orders placed this summer was 2 times higher. However, most of the attempts were unsuccessful due to sellers’ reluctance to sell biomass for prices offered by buyers.