Romanian electricity stakeholders have started talks towards joining a market coupling project that could see the full integration and harmonisation of the region`s trading platforms in the short term, according to a statement released by OPCOM, the Romanian exchange, on Tuesday (20th December).
OPCOM together with Transelectrica and ANRE, the Romanian grid operator and regulator, have formally expressed their intention to cooperate with their Czech, Slovak and Hungarian counterparties towards a fully-integrated electricity market.
The project is in line with EU directives stipulating the creation of a fully integrated European market by 2014-2015.
The project is currently steered by relevant stakeholders in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
In a statement released to the press, MAVIR, the Hungarian grid operator said: "The steering group of the Czech-Slovak-Hungarian market coupling project (MC) approved the official application of the Romanian market operator (OPCOM), the transmission system operator Transelectrica and ANRE (the Romanian watchdog) to join the project. Mutual dialogues on more intensive collaboration and harmonisation of integration processes will be commenced within [the] next weeks."
MAVIR said it also welcomed the interest of Polish stakeholders in collaborating with the MC steering group.
The EU plan to harmonise Day-ahead markets across Europe is aimed at bringing more liquidity and easier cross-border trading across the bloc, ironing out price differences between markets.
Brussels` decision to implement Day-ahead price coupling in all wholesale electricity markets by 2014 will be extended to southeastern Europe, which it is hoped will join the rest of the bloc no later than 2015 (see EDEM 8 December 2011).
(THE ICIS HEREN REPORTS - EDEM 15245 / 20 December 2011