Recording of Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026 | Language: English | Duration: 12:23 .

Evolution and Coordination of the COPAX Platform in the Netherlands

The COPAX platform, initiated in 2018 and established as an official live market in 2019, plays a vital role in coordinating Dutch energy market participants to manage congestion. By 2021, all Dutch grid operators, including six Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and one Transmission System Operator (TSO), joined COPAX, enhancing market efficiency and reliability. A foundational layer enabling vertical flexibility between DSOs and TSOs has been created, optimizing resource sharing and improving grid stability. The flexibility market in the Netherlands has become more structured, with over 30 active flexibility service providers and around 500 gigawatt hours of flexibility activated through various contracts. Trends show an increase in electricity trading, particularly in intraday markets, driven by the integration of distributed energy resources and the rise in congestion. Effective congestion management relies on precise forecasting of electricity demand across multiple time frames, with ongoing efforts to address pending grid connections and enhance coordination between operators. Planned enhancements at GOPAX will allow greater flexibility access, while TENNET's new bid structure for large assets aims to improve grid connections and trading opportunities.

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Speaker

Elise van Ginkel
Manager Strategic Development
GOPACS
The Netherlands

Jasper Kroondijk
Business Development Manager
GOPACS
The Netherlands

Talk of session: From Local Experiments to Lasting Markets: The Future of DSO Flexibility

As distribution system operators (DSOs) gain experience with local flexibility markets, the focus is increasingly shifting from pilot projects to stable, scalable and enduring solutions. This session will examine what it takes to move from experimental local flexibility schemes to robust markets that can be reliably integrated into system operation and investment planning. The discussion will address regulatory readiness, market design choices, standardization, coordination with other system operators and the conditions needed to provide long-term security for flexibility providers. By bringing together DSOs, policymakers, market actors and technology providers, the event aims to identify practical pathways towards sustainable local flexibility markets that support a resilient and decarbonized electricity system.

Further Talks of this session:

From Local Experiments to Scalable Flexibility Markets: What Europe Is Learning

Speaker

Kris Kessels
Senior Researcher Energy Markets
VITO/EnergyVille
Belgium

To Talk

Unlocking Local Flexibility - One Market, Multiple Buyers

Speaker

Guro Grotterud
Director of Regulatory Affairs and Senior Project Manager
NODES
Norway

To Talk

Small Batteries, Big Flexibility: Aggregated Distributed Storage for DSOs

Speaker

Cristina Corchero García
CTO
Bamboo Energy S.L.
Spain

To Talk

From the Living Room to the Grid: How Matter + OpenADR Enable Mass-Market Flexibility

Speaker

Rolf Bienert
Managing Director
OpenADR Alliance

To Talk

From Pilot to Portfolio: Making Local Flexibility Work for DSO in Different Member States

Speaker

Torsten Knop
European Regulation
E.ON SE
Germany

To Talk

Panel Discussion

To Talk

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