News Search

News Search

Search Period

  1.  / 
  2.  / 
  3.    
  4.  / 
  5.  / 
  6.    

Weekly Summary

Power: Aug 10-14: Prices ease amid long summer break

Wholesale electricity prices in Japan markets softened in the week ending August 14 on low demand resulted from a long holiday period. Based on the Rim Power Index (Day ahead 24 hours), the weekday power prices in the eastern market, including Hokkaido, Tohoku and Tokyo area, averaged out at 5 .89 yen per kilowatt hour (kWh), down 0.30 yen/kWh or 4.8 % from the previous week, meanwhile prices in the western, made up of the Chubu, Hokuriku, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu area, at 4.49 yen/kWh, down 0.33 yen/kWh or 6.8%.

 

In the short week because of Monday's national holiday, a number of Japanese were believed to get leave even on the rest four weekdays for the Bon vacation, one of Japan's major holiday seasons, and innumerable industrial facilities also sat idle, curtailing demand for electricity. On the other hand, heat waves hit the Japanese archipelago, and a string of power plants halted for summer inspections. This combination underpinned the markets.

 

The premium of Hokkaido to Tokyo declined to minus 0.10 yen/kWh from plus 0.20 seen in the prior week, with Hokkaido's 24 hours average 5.82 yen/kWh (previous week's ave:6.38 yen) and Tokyo's 5.92 yen/kWh (6.18 yen), which are reckoned in conformity to data compiled by the Japan Electric Power Exchange (JEPX). Hokkaido prices often drift at higher levels than other areas especially in the winter season. Tohoku's average stood at 5.81 yen/kWh, 0.11 yen/kWh lower than Tokyo where fierce heat went on rampage. Tokyo's daily maximum temperatures were forecasted on a day ahead basis at the range of 34 to 36 degrees Celsius for Aug 11 to 14. Nighttime averages for Tokyo, Tohoku and Hokkaido strengthened unlike daytime and peak time.

Kansai's weekly average lowered by 0.33 yen/kWh to 4.51 yen/kWh, and Kyushu's moved down by 0.25yen/kWh to 4.41 yen/kWh. The gap of the two areas stood 0.10 yen/kWh compared to 0.18 yen/kWh observed in the prior week. Kansai area is the biggest market in the western Japan, and Kyushu's prices are apt to hover at less expensive levels alongside of other areas. In common with eastern three areas, nighttime averages for Kansai and Kyushu got higher contrary to daytime and peak time.

 

On JEPX, the weekday average of System Price (Day ahead 24 hours), which were figured based on the data of 9 areas, edged down by 0.14 yen/kWh or 2.7% to 5.04 from the previous week's 5.18 yen/kWh, with the average volume decreasing by 33,622 megawatts per hour (MWh) to 960,856 MWh compared to the previous week.

 

JEPX: System Price (Day Ahead 24 hour)

Weekday Price

10-Aug

11-Aug

12-Aug

13-Aug

14-Aug

 

Average

24-Hour Ave

National

5.46

5.51

4.66

4.54

 

5.04

Volume (MWh)

Holiday

969,718

957,924

971,935

943,846

 

960,856

(unit: yen per kWh) (date: delivery day)  

 

Rim Power Report (English Language Version) click

*RIM Power Report: Sample (English Language Version - Available!) click

Tokyo : Electricity Team  Compiling by Electricity Team   +81-3-3552-2411Copyright © RIM Intelligence Co. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.