The cross-border power auction price between France and Belgium for July was Eur5.91/MWh, 10 times higher than a year earlier and the highest July auction price since 2015, according to the Joint Allocation Office Friday.
The rise in the monthly auction price followed fresh concerns about nuclear reactors in Belgium after delays to the return of multiple power units announced last week.
Of the 2.796 GW border capacity requested, 300 MW was allocated for July.
Only eight of the 27 participants were awarded the monthly contracts, JAO said.
In July 2017, the auction price outturned at Eur0.51/MWh and Eur0.52/MWh for July 2016.
For July 2015, the cross-border auction price was Eur9.46/MWh. Belgium was plagued by nuclear safety concerns in 2014 and 2015 as thousands of cracks were found in the steel reactor pressure vessels containing the nuclear fuel at the Doel 3 and Tihange 2 reactors.
