EUROPE POWER-Spot lifted by increased French demand, wind output decline

PARIS

, Feb 23 (

Reuters

) - European day-ahead electricity prices rose on Thursday, supported by a forecast decline in wind power output and increased consumption in

France

due to cold weather. * French baseload power price for Friday delivery gained 4.5 euros or 10.06 percent to 49.25 euros ($51.93) per megawatt-hour (MWh). * German spot for Friday delivery rose 6.31 percent or 1.75 euros to 29.50 euros euros/MWh. * French wind power output for Friday will fall by nearly 4 gigawatts (GW) day-on-day to 3.3 GW, according to

Thomson Reuters

data. In

Germany

, electricity from wind turbines will fall by 3.8

GW

to about 20 GW, the data showed. * Available French nuclear power capacity is expected to be stable at 78.82 percent. * French power demand will rise by 1.5 GW day-on-day on Friday to 63.4 GW as temperatures fall by 2.4 degrees Celsius (36.32 Fahrenheit) on average, Reuters data showed. * German consumption will fall slightly by 940 megawatts to 77 GW on Friday, although average temperatures will drop by 4 degrees Celsius. Unlike France, Germany does not rely on electricity for heating during cold snaps. * Along the year-ahead curve, prices posted small gains on Thursday, tracking fuels. The German Cal '18 baseload contract ticked up 0.97 percent to 31.20 euros/MWh. * The equivalent French year-ahead contract gained 0.83 percent to 36.40 euros/MWh, as oil and coal were slightly higher, a trader said. * European carbon emissions prices jumped 2.96 percent to 5.22 euros a tonne. * In eastern Europe, the Czech day-ahead for Friday delivery rose 9.01 percent to 30.25 euros/MWh. The year-ahead contract added 1.80 percent to 31.10 euros.($1 = 0.9484 euros) (Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by

Dale Hudson

)