The EU Commission has established conditions for the introduction and design of capacity mechanisms within the framework of the "Clean Energy Package" (CEP) legislative package. Several EU member states have already introduced different types of capacity mechanisms to address national concerns regarding security of supply. A key feature of capacity mechanisms is the remuneration of the capacity provided (MW). This distinguishes capacity mechanisms from the so-called energy-only market, where the actually delivered energy (MWh) is remunerated.
According to the provisions of the Electricity Regulation (Art. 26. Regulation (EU) 2019/943), capacity mechanisms must be open to cross-border participation of foreign capacities. Cross-border participation is possible in the Belgian capacity market.
The Belgian transmission system operator Elia is responsible for the implementation of the capacity mechanism. The German transmission system operators support Elia in the implementation and are available in case of questions for German capacities providers.
Cross-border participation in the Belgian capacity mechanism is possible for the next delivery period 2026/2027. German capacity providers can participate in the relevant pre-auction from May to June 2025, provided they are directly connected to the electricity supply grid of a German transmission system operator. The auction is preceded by a prequalification process that begins in April 2025 with a so-called "Admission Process."
The timeline for the year 2025 is as follows: