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Weekly report 27 August–2 September

Issue date

8th September 2006

(The full report is available in PDF form below)

Overview

Spot prices for the week averaged between $24/MWh in Queensland and $35/MWh in Tasmania.

Turnover in the energy market was $111 million.  The total cost of ancillary services for the week was $220 000, or 0.2 per cent of energy market turnover.

Significant variations between actual prices and those forecast 4 and 12 hours ahead occurred in 18, or 5 per cent of all trading intervals.  Demand forecasts produced 4 and 12 hours ahead varied from actual by more than 5 per cent in 16 per cent of all trading intervals across the market.  These variations were most frequent in South Australia, occurring in almost half of all trading intervals, with demand up to 340 MW or 27 per cent lower than forecast 4 hours ahead on Saturday evening.

The AER welcomes comments on the information contained in, or the layout of, the report. Comments should be sent to Peter Adams or Mark Wilson, AER, GPO Box 922, Adelaide SA 5000 (email AERInquiry@aer.gov.au; fax (08) 8213 3414).

Price summary

Energy prices

Figure 1 sets out national demand and spot prices in each region for each trading interval. Figure 2 compares the volume weighted average price with the averages for the previous week and the same quarter last year. Figure 3 compares the weekly price volatility index on the same basis.

Figure 1  National demand and spot price all regions

Figure 1  Half–hour national demand and prices–27 August 2006

Figure 2  Volume weighted average spot price for energy market ($/MWh)

QLD
NSW
VIC
SA
TAS
Last week
24
28
31
33
35
Previous week
23
32
35
38
34
Same quarter last year
22
29
30
34
100
Financial year 2005-06
31
43
36
44
59
% change from previous week
▲1%
▼11%
▼12%
▼13%
▲2%
% change from same quarter last year
▲9%
▼2%
▲3%
▼2%
▼65%
% change from previous year
▼8%
▼2%
▲13%
▲5%
▼23%

Figure 3  Volatility index* during peak periods

QLD
NSW
VIC
SA
TAS
Last week
0.61
0.39
0.42
0.37
0.24
Previous week
0.65
0.7
0.64
0.62
0.46
Same quarter last year
0.64
0.86
0.86
0.83
0.81

*A definition of the price volatility index is available on the AER website.
http://www.aer.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/MarketSnapshotLongTermAnalysis

Price events

Maximum spot prices for the week ranged from $61/MWh in Queensland to $79/MWh in South Australia. All of these prices occurred at 6.30 pm on Monday.

There were no low reserve conditions forecast.

FCAS

The total cost of ancillary services on the mainland for the week was $150 000 or 0.1 per cent of the energy market.  Locally sourced lower FCAS were required in Queensland on Wednesday for a planned network outage in New South Wales.  The costs for ancillary services were low during this outage.

Figure 4 summarises the volume weighted average prices and costs for the eight frequency control ancillary services across the interconnected regions.

Figure 4  Volume weighted average frequency control ancillary service prices (excluding Tasmania)

Raise
Lower
 
6
sec
60
sec
5
min
Reg
6
sec
60
sec
5
min
Reg
Last week($/MW)
0.86
0.11
0.65
1.89
0.93
0.42
0.75
0.9
Previous week ($/MW)
0.77
0.13
0.74
2.27
0.1
0.05
0.28
0.84
Last quarter ($/MW)
1.76
0.73
1.15
1.54
0.39
2.28
5
1.93
Market cost($1000s)
34
3
35
41
2
4
17
14
% of energy market
0.03%
0.01%
0.03%
0.04%
0.01%
0.01%
0.02%
0.01%

The total cost of ancillary services in Tasmania for the week was $71 000 or 1.0 per cent of the total turnover in the energy market in Tasmania.

Figure 5 summarises the volume weighted average prices and costs for the eight frequency control ancillary services across Tasmania.

Figure 5  Tasmanian volume weighted average frequency control ancillary service prices

Raise
Lower
 
6
sec
60
sec
5
min
Reg
6
sec
60
sec
5
min
Reg
Last week($/MW)
3.57
0.81
2.2
2.21
0.07
0.3
0.49
0.89
Previous week ($/MW)
4.28
0.82
2.78
2.72
0.25
0.81
0.6
0.82
Last quarter ($/MWh)
7.89
1.05
1.05
1.58
4.43
1.06
1.06
1.97
Tasmania Market cost($1000s)
14
10
25
9
1
3
4
5
% Tasmania of energy market
0.2%
0.15%
0.35%
0.13%
0.01%
0.05%
0.05%
0.06%

Figure 6 shows the daily breakdown of price for each frequency control ancillary service. It also includes the cost of services sourced locally and in Tasmania.

Figure 6  Daily frequency control ancillary service prices

Figure 6  Daily frequency control service costs–27 August 2006

Figure 7 shows the weekly participation in each of the ancillary service markets on a regional basis.

Figure 7  Regional participation in ancillary services

Figure 7  Regional participation in global frequency control services–27 August 2006

Figures 8 and 9 show 30-minute prices for each of the ancillary services.

Figure 8  Prices for raise services

Figure 8  Half–hour global prices for raise frequency control services–27 August 2006

Figure 9  Prices for lower services

Figure 9  Half–hour global prices for lower frequency control services–27 August 2006

Figures 10 and 11 show the 30-minute Tasmanian price for each of the ancillary services.

Figure 10  Tasmanian prices for raise services

Figure 10  Half–hour Tasmanian prices for raise frequency control services–27 August 2006

Figure 11  Tasmanian prices for lower services

Figure 11  Half–hour Tasmanian prices for lower frequency control services–27 August 2006

Figures 12 and 13 present both the raise and lower requirements for each service over the week.

Figure 12  Raise requirements

Figure 12  5–minute global requirement for raise frequency control services–27 August 2006

Figure 13  Lower requirements

Figure 13  5–minute global requirement for lower frequency control services–27 August 2006

Figures 14 and 15 present both the raise and lower Tasmanian requirements for each service over the week.

Figure 14  Tasmanian raise requirements

Figure 14  5–minute Tasmanian requirement for raise frequency control services–27 August 2006

Figure 15  Tasmanian lower requirements

Figure 15  5–minute Tasmanian requirement for lower frequency control services–27 August 2006

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