Europe Power-Curve sharply down as carbon slumps

* German Cal '13 base at 3 1/2 week low
* Day ahead prices higher on wind lull
* E.ON's Wilhelmshaven plant offline till Tuesday

BERLIN, March 12 (Reuters) - European power forwards
fell sharply on Monday as carbon prices plummeted on uncertainty
over a planned EU set-aside plan for that market after Poland
vetoed a low carbon roadmap on Friday.
EU carbon emission rights are an important power price
component as holding them is mandatory for power generators to
cover their production.
German Cal '12 baseload power, the benchmark contract for
power delivery next year, lost 65 cents to just over 52 euros a
megawatt hour, its lowest level since Feb. 15.
The contract's French equivalent, Cal '13 base,
was 60 cents off from Friday at 52.70 euros.
Dec '12 carbon, the most liquid contract, was 1.85 percent
down at 7.94 euros a tonne at 1520 GMT.
The weakness in carbon followed on from near 5 percent
losses on Friday already as it emerged coal-reliant Poland would
scupper the deal, despite the other 26 EU countries backing it.
Lack of unity depresses CO2 prices.
Slipping oil prices also weighed on sentiment on the power
and gas curves. Oil investors focused on U.S. demand growth
potential and easing concern about supplies from the Middle East
after four sessions of price gains.
In the spot power market, a drastic fall in likely wind
power output for Germany boosted prices of Tuesday delivery
positions but overall, a mild period was set to curb demand.
French baseload power for the day ahead inched 50
cents higher to 48.50 euros while its German counterpart
gained 2.50 euros to 47.50 euros.
"This is bound to change in the course of the week as power
consumption is expected to fall and there is better capacity
availability," said one trader.
Temperatures will likely rise to between 12 and 18 degrees
Celsius by Thursday compared with 6 to 14 degrees recorded on
Monday, German met office DWD said.
E.ON data showed the 757 MW Wilhelmshaven coal plant offline
at least until the end of Tuesday, due to flue gas problems.
Austria's Chancellor said he expected an anti-nuclear
campaign this year in the EU to gather momentum for a long-haul
exit for the bloc, which he would support on behalf of his
staunchly anti-nuclear country.

(Reporting by Vera Eckert, editing by William Hardy)