-
今夏歐洲部分地區的天然氣價格或跌破零值
點擊次數：411 發表時間：2023-6-2
-
中國石化新聞網
中國石化新聞網訊 據油價網5月28日報道，最近幾周，由于發電和工業對天然氣的需求疲軟，導致歐洲天然氣價格大幅下降，歐洲貿易商和行業人士不排除今年夏天歐洲一些市場的天然氣價格可能會短暫跌至零以下的可能性。
暖冬結束時充足的庫存、穩定的液化天然氣進口以及疲軟的需求，導致歐洲基準天然氣價格連續8周下跌，這是6年多來最長的單周下跌。
在德國埃森舉行的E-World能源博覽會上，貿易商和行業人士告訴彭博社，雖然基準價格不太可能降至零以下，但如果需求持續疲軟，可再生能源發電量保持高位，今年夏天歐洲一些地區的天然氣價格可能會短暫低于零。
挪威能源巨頭Equinor負責天然氣交易和優化的副總裁Peder Bjorland在接受彭博社采訪時表示，“當你擁有可再生能源生產時，歐洲個別地區的天然氣市場可能會出現負值；從我們現在看到的價格水平到個位數和負值還有相當大的距離，這條路上可能會發生很多事情”。
歐洲天然氣交易基準TTF中心的即月期貨周四暴跌10%，收于每兆瓦時26.78美元(24.94歐元)，這是自2021年秋季能源危機開始以來的最低價格。
歐洲天然氣價格的價格趨勢與去年形成了鮮明對比。去年8月，由于削減了管道供應，政府和行業對冬季潛在的天然氣短缺感到恐慌，基準價格飆升至每兆瓦時322美元（300歐元）。
由于冬季天氣溫和，歐盟層面的消費減少，以及高能源成本對工業的需求破壞，歐洲度過了2022/2023年的冬天，沒有出現天然氣短缺或天然氣限購。
每年這個時候的天然氣庫存都很高。根據歐洲天然氣基礎設施公司的數據顯示，到5月24日，歐盟的天然氣儲存點66.71%已滿。目前天然氣儲存水平是至少十年來年均最高水平。
分析師告訴彭博社，歐洲最早可能在9月填滿庫存，遠遠早于冬季。
冬季供暖季結束、夏季電力需求高峰尚未到來之前，目前歐洲的天然氣需求現在很疲軟。去年秋冬兩季經歷了非常艱難時期的工業天然氣消費也很疲軟。
據分析師表示，盡管天然氣價格下跌，但工業燃料消耗量并沒有上升，盡管大型工業能源消費者可能會等待天然氣價格的進一步下跌。
高盛(Goldman Sachs)本周早些時候表示，隨著更多發電廠可能從煤炭轉向天然氣，價格進一步下跌可能會讓價格慢慢企穩。
高盛分析師在彭博社的一份報告中寫道，在工業需求和亞洲液化天然氣進口開始明顯改善之前，這一替代過程可以作為天然氣價格的臨時下限，“在我們看來，這最終將使天然氣價格在夏末走高”。
歐洲天然氣價格的近期前景看起來很悲觀。但如果夏季熱浪帶來的低風速可能會削弱風力發電，那么需求可能會迅速轉變。如果價格繼續下跌，工業客戶也可能開始使用更多的天然氣，最終支撐價格。亞洲對液化天然氣需求的復蘇也可能導致歐洲價格上漲，因為歐洲將不得不與亞洲競爭現貨貨物。
郝芬 譯自 油價網
原文如下：
Natural Gas Prices Could Fall Below Zero In Parts Of Europe
As tepid demand for gas from power generation and industry has sent European natural gas prices into a freefall in recent weeks, traders and industry officials are not ruling out the possibility that Europe may see a brief dip to below zero for day-ahead prices in some markets this summer.
The combination of ample inventories at the end of a mild winter, steady imports of LNG, and weak demand has led to eight consecutive weeks of weekly losses in European benchmark natural gas prices, the longest weekly losing streak in more than six years.
While the benchmark price is unlikely to drop below zero, some regional day-ahead natural gas prices in Europe could see sub-zero prices briefly this summer, if demand remains weak and renewable power generation holds high, traders and industry officials at the E-World energy fair in Essen, Germany, told Bloomberg.
“Individual regional gas markets in Europe could go negative when you have hours and days with renewable production,” Peder Bjorland, vice president for gas trading and optimization at Norway’s energy giant Equinor, told Bloomberg.
“There is quite a big distance from the price level we see now and to the single-digit and negative prices, and a lot can happen on that route,” Bjorland added.
The front-month futures at the TTF hub, the benchmark for Europe’s gas trading, crashed by 10% on Thursday to settle at $26.78 (24.94 euros) per megawatt-hour (MWh), the lowest price since the start of the energy crisis in the autumn of 2021.
The price trend in European natural gas prices is in stark contrast with last year, when benchmark prices soared to as much as $322 (300 euros) per MWh in August, after it slashed supply via pipelines and governments and industry were spooked by potential gas shortages in the winter.
Thanks to milder winter weather, reduced consumption on EU level, and demand destruction in industry from the high energy costs, Europe made it through the 2022/2023 winter without gas shortages or gas rationing.
Currently, gas inventories are comfortably high for this time of the year. As of May 24, natural gas storage sites in the EU were 66.71% full, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. The level of gas in storage is the highest for this time of the year in at least a decade.
Europe could fill up inventories as early as September, well ahead of the winter, analysts have told Bloomberg.
Demand for natural gas in Europe is now weak after the winter heating season ended and peak summer power demand is yet to begin. Gas consumption from industry, which went through a very rough patch last autumn and winter, is also weak.
Despite falling gas prices, industrial consumption of the fuel is not taking off, although it is possible that large industrial energy consumers wait for a further drop in gas prices, analysts say.
Further price declines could put a floor under prices as more power plants could switch to gas from coal, Goldman Sachs said earlier this week.
“This substitution process can work as a temporary floor to gas prices until industrial demand and Asia LNG imports start to improve more visibly, which in our view will ultimately pull gas prices higher into late-summer,” Goldman’s analysts wrote in a note carried by Bloomberg.
The near-term outlook on natural gas prices in Europe looks bearish. But things could swiftly turn if demand spikes in summer heatwaves with low wind speeds that could cripple wind power generation. Industrial customers could also start using more gas if prices continue to fall, ultimately supporting the prices. A recovery in Asian demand for LNG could also result in higher European prices as Europe will have to compete with Asia for spot cargoes.