A record volume of 567 TWh was traded on the European Power Exchange (EPEX SPOT) in 2018; this amount is 16% higher than in 2017. It represents an all-time high of annual traded volumes and even breaks the 2015 record, when 566 TWh were traded. In France, trade volumes reached 120 TWh, a number even higher than the 2016 record of 115 TWh. Significant volumes were traded in the United Kingdom (nearly 69 TWh, +4.8%), the Netherlands (39.5 TWh, +14%), Switzerland (nearly 25 TWh) and Belgium (27 TWh, +42.7%). In 2018, the Germany-Luxembourg-Austria bidding zone was split in two separate market areas with two respective spot power price indices; the day ahead market volumes remained stable and the German intraday market posted a 13% growth.
Further 2018 highlights include the launch of the European Cross-Border Intraday solution XBID in 14 countries with 20 project parties involved, and the setting up of an integrated electricity day-ahead and intraday market in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
EEX (European Energy Exchange) and Powernext (French stock exchange) merged to create EPEX Spot in 2009. It operates physical short-term electricity markets (day-ahead and intraday) in Central Western Europe and the United Kingdom.