Analysis: Czechia exported electricity at above-average prices last year, while importing it more cheaply

Czechia exports electricity abroad at above-average prices, while imports are cheaper, according to an analysis by consultancy EGU. The price of imported electricity was 26 percent below the annual average on the domestic spot market last year, while exported electricity fetched prices several percent above average. EGU, formerly EGÚ Brno, informed the Czech News Agency (ČTK) of the findings today. However, Czechia’s total net electricity exports are falling, dropping by almost 30 percent last year to 6.4 terawatt-hours (TWh). Exports were thus at their lowest level since 1999.

„Our interconnections with neighbouring countries allow us to respond to price differences and seize market opportunities. The Czech power generation fleet can export electricity when prices are higher and, conversely, import it more cheaply when there is a surplus,“ said EGU managing consultant Michal Kocůrek.

According to the EGU analysis, imported electricity was priced 26 percent below the annual average on the domestic spot market, thanks to a surplus on the European market. Germany accounted for the largest share of imports, at 65 percent, with prices 30 percent below the Czech annual spot-market average. The second-largest source was Poland, with prices one-fifth below the domestic spot-market average.

Czechia exported the most electricity to Austria, at 5.1 TWh, at times when prices were on average three percent higher than the annual average on the Czech spot market, Kocůrek noted. Last year, Czechia also exported electricity to Slovakia.

Czechia therefore remains a significant electricity exporter. In 2024, electricity flows from Czechia totalled 13.7 TWh, while imports amounted to 7.3 TWh, the company said. However, the overall balance has been falling for a long time, and experts expect Czechia to become a net importer in the coming years. According to EGU, this trend is linked to the transformation of the energy mix and more efficient use of the European market when surplus low-cost electricity from renewable sources is available.

As usual, France was the largest electricity exporter last year, with net exports of more than 87 TWh. „France benefits from a large amount of almost emissions-free generation from nuclear power plants, which Germany imprudently shut down for the time being,“ said EGU strategy director Michal Macenauer. Italy was Europe’s largest electricity importer, with net imports of 49.7 TWh. Germany also consolidated its recent role as an importer last year, with net imports of almost 25 TWh.