Electricity prices in the north in autumn and winter are between 30 and 40 øre, and on Sunday electricity cost between 20 and 33 øre. On Monday morning, however, the price makes a huge jump in the middle and north of the country. This is shown by preliminary figures from the power exchange Nord Pool on Sunday evening. Both Northern Norway and Central Norway will receive an average price of NOK 1.78 per kWh on Monday. At most, electricity will cost NOK 3.14 per kWh in the country, including in northern Norway. It happens between 9 and 10 on Monday morning. The industry website Europower writes that the power price on Monday is the most expensive so far in the two northernmost price areas in Norway. In comparison, the prices in South-East, South-West and West Norway will have an average price of NOK 2.1 per kWh on Monday. Freezing of rivers The reason can be found in our Swedish neighbours. – It is due to an annual process in northern Sweden that is happening these days, namely the freezing of northern Swedish rivers. That’s what power analyst Olav Johan Botnen says in Volue Insight. Olav Johan Botnen is a power analyst at Volue Insight. Photo: Erik Wiig Andersen / news – Then you drive the production down into the rivers while the ice has to settle evenly in the river bed. The result is that the power plants in northern Sweden are greatly reduced. This results in an estimated loss of 4–5,000 MW in the next couple of days, says Botnen. But as early as Wednesday, prices in the north will return to normal prices. By then, the freezing of the rivers is expected to be over. – Then there will be more normal operation at northern Swedish hydropower plants, says Botnen. – Can we expect similar fluctuations as a result of freezing later this winter? – No, this only happens once a year. It happens when the first cold wave sets in. – We saw exactly the same phenomenon last year at this time of year. Then the prices in the north were roughly at the same level as in the south for some of the hours while this was happening. The price in southern Norway will also go up, but electricity customers in southern Norway will also feel the effect of the price jump in the north, says the power analyst. – Yes, it also helps to raise prices in the south. Part of the massive export from north to south in Sweden is disappearing these days, and it also happens that there is less power going from north to south in Norway as well. In addition, he points out that there is currently little wind power production in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway – although it is expected to increase in the middle of next week. The sum of these factors means that one must rely on gas power to meet the electricity demand in Europe. – This coincides with a cold wave on the continent. Then you get a massive need to ramp up gas power production. Gas is the most expensive energy source available at the moment – and then the price will be accordingly. Although the power surge in the north will only last a few days next week, Botnen predicts that the price of electricity in southern Norway will remain at around NOK 2 per kWh throughout the winter.
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Electricity prices in the north are skyrocketing – almost on a par with southern Norway – news Nordland
