Evaluation of the Economic Surplus Generated by the European Balancing Platforms

premium account

Recording of Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | The smarter E Europe | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 10:19 .

European Balancing Platforms Enhance Grid Efficiency and Economic Benefits Through Optimized Software Solutions

The discussion focuses on the European balancing platforms and their economic benefits, emphasizing how these systems optimize energy distribution without significant grid investment. Europe currently uses three standardized products for system balance: FCR (primary control), AFR (automatic frequency response), and MFR (manual frequency restoration). The integration of renewable energies is increasing rapidly, outpacing grid investments. To address this challenge, intelligent software solutions like balancing platforms are employed to enhance efficiency by optimizing activation across Europe. This allows demands in one region to be met by more cost-effective plants elsewhere if transmission capacities permit. Platforms such as MARI for MFR and PICASSO for AFR facilitate this process through a TSO-TSO system where local TSOs manage bids from power sources based on price merit order lists sent to central optimization systems like AOF. These setups ensure cost-optimal energy activation while maintaining local TSO responsibility, achieving substantial economic surplus estimated at 100 million Euros annually per platform since full operations began in 2023.

Automated summarization by AI Conver

Dr. Dominik Schlipf
Team Manager System Balance
TransnetBW GmbH
Germany

Grid planners face the complex challenge of transmitting energy from emerging renewable generation hubs to demand centers, while also addressing the growing need for high-capacity connections for storage plants, electrolyzers, and data centers. These developments present significant challenges for grid planners, grid operators, service providers and project developers. This session will explore the technical, regulatory, and logistical hurdles involved in managing these demands and examine innovative solutions to ensure reliable, efficient grid integration and future-proof energy systems. It also discusses the importance of system planning and examines how different stakeholders can contribute to optimization efforts that enable better prioritization of investments and the achievement of European goals.

Further Talks of this session:

Speaker

Dr. Andrzej Ceglarz
Director Energy Systems
Renewables Grid Initiative
Germany

Video is not available.

Speaker

Dr. Anser A. Shakoor
Executive Leader
GE Vernova
United Kingdom

To Talk

Speaker

Dr. Alexandre Oudalov
Manager Power Systems of the Future
Hitachi Energy Germany AG
Germany

To Talk

Speaker

Dr. Sankara Subramanian
Utility Market Leader
Saft Batteries
France

To Talk

Speaker

Matthias Kuring
Senior Expert Balancing Concepts
50Hertz Transmission
Germany

To Talk

Speaker

Dr. Sankara Subramanian
Utility Market Leader
Saft Batteries
France

Dr. Anser A. Shakoor
Executive Leader
GE Vernova
United Kingdom

Dr. Dominik Schlipf
Team Manager System Balance
TransnetBW GmbH
Germany

Dr. Alexandre Oudalov
Manager Power Systems of the Future
Hitachi Energy Germany AG
Germany

Matthias Kuring
Senior Expert Balancing Concepts
50Hertz Transmission
Germany

Dr. Andrzej Ceglarz
Director Energy Systems
Renewables Grid Initiative
Germany

To Talk

Further Content
Webinar Collection
Demand-side flexibility in action: Real-world strategies for energy-intensive industries

May 5, 2026

free account

Webinar showing how flexibility can reduce energy costs and strengthen competitiveness.

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026
Panel Discussion of the Session: Turning Industrial and Commercial Demand Side Flexibility into Value

Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 02:30 pm

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026 | Conference Program

premium account

Industrial and commercial flexibility is no longer experimental - it is becoming a core part of network operation and market participation. Across Europe, DSOs, transmission system operators (TSOs), aggregators and retailers are moving from isolated pilots to coordinated programs that avoid grid upgrades and deliver real capacity and financial value for all participants.This session focuses on the operational integration of C&I flexibility into routine grid workflows through dispatch, settlement, verification and commercial models. It highlights how flexibility is embedded in daily operations: from automated dispatch and verification tools to new contractual models that reward large energy users for adapting consumption. You will gain insight into replicable approaches for scaling flex portfolios, integrating them into control-room workflows and ensuring fair value-sharing across utilities, service providers and industrial consumers.

Thomas Raffeiner and Petrouschka Werther
What EV Acceleration Means for the Grid

The smarter E Podcast Episode 260 | Language: English

July 9, 2026

Cars as batteries on wheels: Thomas Raffeiner and Petrouschka Werther discuss how V2G and smart charging turn EVs into critical grid assets.

Publications
European Battery Market Outlook 2026-2030

June 24, 2026

European Battery Market Outlook 2026-2030: How utility-scale storage drives energy sovereignty and grid flexibility despite looming target gaps.

Rutger Schlatmann and Angelika Harter
Perovskites: The Race for the Future of PV?

The smarter E Podcast Episode 258 | Language: English

June 25, 2026

HZB researchers explore perovskite tandem solar cells, efficiency gains, and the challenges of bringing the technology to market.

You are using an outdated browser

The website cannot be viewed in this browser. Please open the website in an up-to-date browser such as Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.