By Vera Eckert FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The European Energy Exchange (EEX) could double the number of participants in its Japanese power futures market from around 20 players in 2021, having traded over 3 terawatt hours (TWh) in its first 12 months, executives said. Interest in wholesale trading was boosted by extremely cold weather early this year, which left Japanese retail suppliers undercovered, said Steffen Riediger, director for Power Derivatives at the EEX, a unit of Deutsche Boerse. The harsh weather highlighted Japan’s reliance on gas imports for power, if nuclear and renewables do not provide enough supply. “This demonstrated the rationale behind hedging supply gaps,” Riediger said in an interview. “It demonstrated the importance of futures, especially bourse-traded ones, which eliminate counterparty risks.”