Hydropower production in the Balkans peaked between December 19 and 25, 2022, thanks to high production at Danube hydropower plants, followed by a sharp decline in the last week of last year, hydrological reports show. In the first half of January, a further drop in hydropower production in the region is expected, which will affect the growth of electricity prices, which will once again exceed the level of 100 euros per MWh.
The combined production of hydropower in Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia increased to 1.15 TWh in the period from December 19 to 25, which is the highest level in the last year and a half. This contributed to the increase in production at HPPs along the Danube. Production in Serbia has reached the highest level in the last two years.
However, the contribution of hydropower plants fell to 882 GWh in the period from December 26 to January 1. In contrast, production fell in Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria.
Hydropower reserves in the region in the last two weeks of 2022 increased by 2.4% to a five-month high of 4.7 TWh.
It is predicted that hydropower production in the Balkan region will fall in the first week of January, given that, according to the forecast, the level of the Danube will return to the multi-year seasonal average.
