In the last week of June, electricity demand increased across major European power markets compared to the previous week. Italy recorded the strongest growth at 10%, followed closely by France at 9.9% and Belgium at 7.3%, while Portugal saw only a marginal rise of 0.1%. Spain, Great Britain, and Germany also posted gains ranging from 3.1% in Spain to 6.0% in Germany. Demand in Great Britain continued its upward trend for a second consecutive week, while Germany, France, Portugal, Italy, and Belgium all extended their growth streaks to a third week. Spain stood out with a sixth consecutive weekly increase in demand.
During the same period, average temperatures rose across all analyzed markets, further supporting higher electricity consumption. Germany recorded the most significant increase in temperature at 5.2°C, while Portugal saw the smallest rise at 0.7°C. In Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, and Great Britain, temperature increases ranged between 1.1°C and 4.7°C, with the UK experiencing one of the stronger warmings.
This temperature rise was closely linked to heatwave conditions across much of Europe. France, Italy, Belgium, and Germany were affected during the second half of June, while Spain experienced a heatwave between June 21 and June 24. Great Britain also faced an intense heat episode between June 24 and June 28, particularly in England and Wales. In Portugal, persistently high temperatures supported demand growth, although the increase remained more moderate compared to other markets.
For the first week of July, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting expects a decline in electricity demand in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, and Great Britain, while Portugal is projected to see a continued increase in demand driven by ongoing high temperatures, AleaSoft reports.