Wholesale Power Prices Hit Another Four-Year Low With Gas Oversupply

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Apr 08, 2015, 07:23 ET

LONDON, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

- The ICIS Power Index Q1 analysis highlights the global nature of UK energy markets as prices decline further

ICIS, the independent authority on UK energy market pricing, has highlighted the continued fall in UK wholesale energy prices, shown by the ICIS Power Index (IPI) reaching its lowest point ever. ICIS' analysis of trends during the first quarter (Q1) of 2015 details how global energy markets are having more impact on the UK, pulling down prices.

The IPI, which reflects wholesale power prices over a year of delivery, shows that electricity prices have averaged their lowest in four years during Q1. ICIS analysts say that this is a result of continued gas oversupply, with rising production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) around the world and more coming to the UK, and also the influence of other global markets such as Brent crude oil and coal.

Wholesale power prices have declined to their lowest point since the start of IPI calculation in 2011, hitting its lowest level to date on 26^th January at £43.573/MWh.

For Q1 as a whole, the IPI averaged £45.10/MWh - 10% less than the IPI's average for Q4 2014 of £50.40/MWh, reflecting how prices have fallen over the shorter term.

The Q1 2015 average was also 6% lower than the lowest previous quarterly average since the IPI's first calculation, in Q3 2012.

"Wholesale energy market prices are under increasing pressure from macroeconomic factors," says Zoe Double, Head of Power, ICIS. "The UK is now part of a truly global gas market with more liquefied natural gas availability, and oversupply on energy markets elsewhere in the world is having an impact on wholesale energy prices here, with the fall of Brent crude oil and lower coal values."

The IPI delivers independent insight into the complex world of wholesale power prices for both households and industrial electricity consumers, based on real market trading. The most recent Q1 analysis shows that the trend of increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports is likely to continue, and macroeconomic indicators are also pressuring UK energy prices.

The ICIS Power Index is updated every working day and is freely available from the ICIS website, along with ICIS' analysis of price trends and volumes during Q1 2015.

About ICIS

ICIS is an independent price reporting agency focusing on global energy, petrochemical and fertilizer markets, and we have covered the complex UK electricity market for nearly two decades. Every day, we assess electricity contracts for more than 40 different delivery periods in the UK market alone. The analysis and data that we produce is widely used as a reference price in energy contracts.

It is our aim to give companies in global commodities markets a competitive advantage by delivering trusted pricing data, high-value news, analysis and independent consulting, enabling our customers to make better-informed trading and planning decisions.

With a global staff of more than 800, ICIS has employees based in Houston, Washington, New York, London, Montpellier, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Yantai, Tokyo and Perth. ICIS is a division of Reed Business Information, part of Reed Elsevier Plc.

About Reed Business Information

At Reed Business Information we provide information and online data services to business professionals worldwide. Customers have access to our high-value industry data, analytics, information and tools. Our strong global brands hold market-leading positions across a wide range of industry sectors including banking, petrochemicals and aviation where we help customers make key strategic decisions every day. RBI is part of Reed Elsevier, a leading global provider of data, information and solutions for professional customers.

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Media contacts

Tara Sabanandan, Senior Marketing Executive, ICIS
Email: [email protected]
Direct: +44(0)207-911-1713

Rosie Williams, Aspectus PR
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Direct: +44(0)20-7092-8127

SOURCE ICIS