EUROPE POWER-Spot prices lifted on French strike

PARIS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - European spot power contracts edged up on Thursday on news of a 48-hour French power sector strike lasting through Friday, while wind supply is expected to rise throughout the region.

The hardline CGT union announced on Wednesday evening that the power sector would take part in a 48-hour strike. Nuclear output was down about 100 megawatts (MW) Thursday morning but hydropower was so far unaffected.

German baseload power for delivery on Friday added 4.5% by 1035 GMT to trade at 169.85 euros ($185.20) a megawatt-hour (MWh).

The equivalent French price gained 2.7% to 172.50 euros/MWh.

Daily wind power output in Germany was forecast rise 1.6 gigawatts (GW) to 10.1 GW on Friday, and French wind output was seen up 2.1 GW to 7.8 GW that day, Eikon data showed.

French nuclear availability rose 4 percentage point at 77% of total capacity as two reactors returned online.

The French state's full takeover of energy giant EDF was put on hold by market watchdog AMF until a Paris court ruling, expected May 2, on the merits of a lawsuit challenging the deal brought by minority shareholders.

On the demand side, German consumption is set to slide 1 GW on Friday to 61.6 GW while demand in France is seen dipping 390 megawatts (MW) to 73 GW, the Eikon data showed.

Along the forwards curve, German baseload for 2024 delivery rose 5.2% to 172 euros/MWh.

The equivalent French contract was up 4.8% to 190.50 euros/MWh.

European CO2 allowances for December 2023 expiry added 2.9% to 86.70 euros a tonne. ($1 = 0.9171 euros) (Reporting by Forrest Crellin; editing by Jon Boyle)