Bulgarian day-ahead electricity prices rose 16% in September as trading reached 3.1 TWh on the Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange. The increase in traded volumes contributed to higher wholesale purchasing costs. Average pricing also moved higher across baseload and peak segments.
Day-ahead market pricing and turnover
The average baseload price reached €166.24/MWh, up from €143.15/MWh in August. The average peak price increased 15% to €127.51/MWh. Day-ahead trading totalled 3.10 TWh, rising 2% month on month and 28.6% year on year. Average daily turnover was approximately 103.3 GWh.
The exchange recorded 155 registered day-ahead participants, unchanged from August. Peak prices remained substantially below the baseload average, with differences depending on when electricity is consumed or delivered. For buyers, a monthly average can obscure variations between daytime procurement costs and exposure during other hours.
Continuous intraday market activity
Activity increased in the continuous intraday market, where traded volume rose 6% to 1.18 TWh. The weighted average intraday price increased 11% to €156.87/MWh. The intraday price was about €9.37/MWh below the day-ahead baseload average.
The two measures reflect different trading patterns and do not indicate an automatic saving. With higher prices and greater turnover in September, market participants managed both increased purchasing costs and demand for adjustments closer to delivery.