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Spark Spread Calculator

Calculate CCGT plant profitability, clean spark spread, and breakeven gas prices across European bidding zones. Built for power traders, asset managers, and energy analysts.

Model Inputs (Manual Parameters)
Standard CCGT Model
£/MWh
£/MWh
%
£/tCO2
Default: 0.40 tCO2/MWh
tCO2/MWh
Clean Spark Spread Result (GB)
Clean spark spread
£18.96
Gas uneconomic — £18.96/MWh below breakeven
Power price£57.04/MWh
Gas fuel cost (price × 2.00 heat rate)−£56.00/MWh
Carbon cost (EUA × EF × heat rate)−£20.00/MWh
Clean spark spread£18.96/MWh
Breakeven gas price£18.52/MWh
Sensitivity — clean spread at different gas prices
£16.8
+3.4
£22.4
7.8
£28.0
19.0
£33.6
30.2
£39.2
41.4
£44.8
52.6

Understanding Spark Spread & CCGT Profitability

The spark spread represents the theoretical gross margin of a gas-fired power plant (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine — CCGT) selling power and buying natural gas fuel. The clean spark spread further accounts for carbon emissions costs under the EU ETS.

A positive spark spread indicates gas power generation is economic in that hour, whereas a negative spread means operating the CCGT plant would result in a financial loss compared to remaining offline.

Thermal efficiency varies across plants: modern H-class turbines reach up to 60-63% efficiency, while older F-class units operate closer to 50-55%. Lower efficiency plants require higher power prices to break even.

Get real-time spark spread tracking, 15-minute live updates, and historical spread trends across 15 EU bidding zones