Serbian power futures begin trading

The European Energy Exchange (EEX) has registered the first trade in Serbian power futures, the Serbian power exchange, SEEPEX, announced today.

EEX registered the first trade in Serbian power futures, specifically a monthly future for July, at the price of EUR 51.45 per MWh, SEEPEX said.

The first trade in Serbian power futures, specifically a monthly future for July, was at the price of EUR 51.45/MWh

Buying power futures helps control electricity expenses, contributing to business predictability, according to participants in a workshop recently organized by EEX and SEEPEX.

Financial derivatives help all market participants hedge price risk, which is particularly important for the electricity market due to major price volatility, said SEEPEX Executive Director Miloš Mladenović, recalling that SEEPEX has so far only offered the day-ahead benchmark price.

Futures are a tool to hedge risk on the electricity market, marked by major price volatility

The Serbian power exchange is now able to offer benchmark prices for contracts up to six years ahead.

Mladenović also said that futures trading requires a stable and robust spot price, noting that SEEPEX has registered strong results in terms of trade volume and participant number over the past period.

The first trades in Slovenian and Bulgarian power futures were registered on June 14. The go-live for the three countries’ futures had been announced for June 3.

Yearly Slovenian power futures, for 2020, were traded at EUR 57.80 per MWh, BSP SouthPool said.

For its part, IBEX said that the trade was for a monthly product July 2019, adding that the financial settlement is based on the clearing price of the Bulgarian day-ahead market operated by IBEX.

The product offering includes cash-settled power futures for Slovenia covering base and peak load products with weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly maturities, as well as cash-settled Bulgarian and Serbian base load products with the same maturities, EEX said earlier.