Development of Heat Energy Markets: Experience of European Countries and Conclusions for Ukraine

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the European experience of the functioning of heat energy markets, identify the components of their deregulation, and develop proposals for the formation of regional heat markets in Ukraine. The article stipulates that currently there is no trans-European legislation on the formation of heat energy markets, there are only certain provisions that relate to its production, consumption and accounting. From a theoretical point of view, there are three types of competition in the heat energy markets: between heat supply sources; between producers of centralized heat; between companies for assets. The analyzed experience in the development of heat energy markets in three European countries testifies to the fundamental differences in its structure. Denmark’s heat energy markets are government-regulated, where there is a partial distinction between the functions of production, transportation, and distribution of heat; pricing is carried out on a regulatory basis of non-profit; there are no transparent conditions for access to the network, and the consumer has limited opportunities to disconnect from the system. In Sweden, competition is open at the wholesale level between heat producers; the functions of production and supply are demarcated, and the distribution and supply functions are combined; the retail heat market is self-regulating, which implies the need to coordinate heat prices between suppliers and consumers who, in case of disagreement, have the opportunity to refuse centralized heat supply. Lithuanian heat energy markets are open to wholesale competition and operate in the forward segment, while at the retail level they are regulated, where the transmission from production and supply has been unbundled; regulatory access to heating networks for independent producers has been introduced, and consumers have the right to refuse centralized heat supply. The highlighted features allowed to provide proposals for the formation of heat energy markets in Ukraine, including: the development of competition between heat producers; delimitation of the functions of production, transmission and distribution; formation of its forward, spot and balancing segments; introduction of auctions with the declared pricing method under the pressure of regulatory price restrictions, which are established on the basis of business standards according to the benchmarking system.

Keywords

• heat market
• district heating
• unbundling
• competition