In 2019, EEX Group cemented its position as a global commodity exchange, achieving major increases in all territories and across the majority of its portfolio with double digit growth on its power and natural gas markets and with triple digit growth recorded on its freight markets.
Peter Reitz, CEO of EEX, comments “2019 is another record year for EEX Group and confirms our position as a Global Commodity Exchange. In addition to the significant increases in our power and natural gas markets in Europe, I’m particularly encouraged by the growth in our North American power and environmental business as well as the huge gains achieved in freight”.
Power markets
In 2019, EEX Group reconfirmed its position as the number one exchange group in power trading worldwide for the third year running with a growth of 30% as against the previous year.
The group’s power spot markets grew by 4% to 597.9 TWh (2018: 576.6 TWh). This volume included 91.6 TWh traded on the intraday market, representing a 11% increase compared to the previous year (2018: 82.5 TWh). On the day-ahead markets a volume of 506.3 TWh was traded (2018: 494.1 TWh).
On the power derivatives markets, EEX Group volumes increased substantially to 5,829.7 TWh (2018: 4,385.5 TWh). In European power derivatives, volumes increased by 19% y-o-y to 3,972.6 TWh (2018: 3,346.9 TWh), while on the US power derivatives market, volumes rose by an impressive 79% y-o-y to 1,857.1 TWh (2018: 1,038.6 TWh).
Power derivatives volumes in Europe reached double digit growth in almost every territory. Significant increases were achieved on the Spanish market (150.9, +42%) and in the Central and East European power markets (186.4 TWh, +82%) with Hungary becoming a new liquidity hub in the region (124.7 TWh, +134%). In mid-2019, EEX extended its product range to include financially settled futures for Bulgaria, Serbia and Slovenia, thereby offering trading for a total of 20 European market areas. In the German market, liquidity shifted almost completely to the Phelix-DE contract with a volume to 2,596.7 TWh which is an increase of 34% (1,934.5 TWh).
Natural gas markets
On the European natural gas markets, EEX Group achieved a y-o-y growth of 30% with 2,546.3 TWh traded (2018: 1,962.9 TWh), confirming its number one position on the European spot market as well as expanding its presence in the derivatives market. Volumes on the gas spot markets increased by 31% to 1,453.7 TWh (2018: 1,111.2 TWh), driven largely by the strong performance on the Dutch TTF which registered a 62% growth compared to 2018. The volumes on the gas derivatives market increased by 28% to 1,088.5 TWh (2018: 851.7 TWh).
In the United States, Nodal Exchange, having launched natural gas contracts in September 2019, achieved a total volume of 4.1 TWh up until year end.
Environmental markets
On the emissions markets in Europe, the trading volume totalled 1,138.5 million tonnes of CO2 (2018: 2,896.6 million tonnes of CO2). During the year, EEX carried out 217 primary market auctions for EU Emission Allowances (EUA) and EU Aviation Allowances (EUAA) with a volume of 594.0 million tonnes of CO2 (2018: 819.4 million tonnes of CO2). On the secondary market, 544.4 million tonnes of CO2 were traded in 2019 compared to 2,077.1 million tonnes of CO2 in 2018.
On the environmental markets of North America, having launched into this market in November 2018, Nodal Exchange achieved a total trading volume of 95,817 contracts in 2019 (2018: 6,750 contracts).
Agricultural markets
The total trading volume in agricultural products amounted to 57,125 contracts (2018: 60,251 contracts). While the volume in processing potatoes increased by 16 % to 39,601 contracts, the dairy derivatives market totalled 17,524 contracts (2018: 26,003 contracts).
Freight markets
The EEX Group Dry Bulk Freight business set a new all time record in 2019, achieving double and triple digit growth in every quarter. In total, volumes which are offered for trade registration via both EEX and EEX Asia with clearing through ECC amounted to 74,776 contracts, representing a 109% increase in comparison to the previous year (2018: 35,850 contracts). Factors that have contributed to this sustained organic growth include a major increase in the member base, improvements in distribution and connectivity, a significant increase in position limits and an enhanced product portfolio.
EEX Group Volume overview 2019
| Commodity | Unit | 2019 | 2018 | ∆ |
| Power Spot Market | TWh | 597.9 | 576.6 | 4% |
| European Power Derivatives Market | TWh | 3,972.6 | 3,346.9 | 19% |
| US Power Derivatives Market | TWh | 1,857.1 | 1,038.6 | 79% |
| Power Total | TWh | 6,427.7 | 4,962.1 | 30% |
| Gas Spot Market | TWh | 1,453.7 | 1,111.2 | 31% |
| Gas Derivatives Market | TWh | 1,088.5 | 851.7 | 28% |
| US Gas Market | TWh | 4.1 | n/a | n/a |
| Natural Gas Total | TWh | 2,546.3 | 1,962.9 | 30% |
| EU Environmental Products | million tonnes of CO2 | 1,138.5 | 2,896.6 | -61% |
| US Environmental Products | contracts | 95,817 | 6,750 | n/a |
| Agriculturals | contracts | 57,125 | 60,251 | -5% |
| Freight | contracts | 74,776 | 35,850 | 109% |
EEX Group provides market platforms for energy and commodity products across the globe and provides access to a network of more than 600 trading participants. The group offers contracts for energy, environmental products, freight, metal and agriculturals listed at the European Energy Exchange (EEX), EEX Asia, EPEX SPOT and Nodal Exchange. Clearing and settlement of the transactions are provided by the European Commodity Clearing (ECC) and by Nodal Clear in the United States. EEX Group is a member of Deutsche Börse Group. More information: www.eex-group.com.