Overview

The Dutch market is mostly aligned with the ENTSO-E standard balancing products. The BSP role enables participation in balancing products (minus wholesale and imbalance) for non-suppliers, and lenient pooling rules streamline DER access. Fast response times and symmetrical requirements for frequency products remain a barrier.

Dutch balancing is mostly resolved passively, through imbalance pricing. The Dutch TSO (TenneT) publishes real-time imbalance prices, creating a market mechanism to resolve imbalance without calling upon balancing reserves. Imbalance prices are equivalent to the balancing energy price. DER assets may monetize their flexibility on the imbalance market if controlled via the BRP. When balancing isn’t required, the price for balancing products is set at the midpoint of ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ bids.

Products

ProductDER suitabilityAccessPoolingDirectionMin bid (MW)Full Activation Time (s)Measurement granularity (s)Payment
FCR3BSPYesSymmetrical1304Availability
aFRR4BRPYesAsymmetrical13004Energy,Availability
mFRR3BRPYesAsymmetrical13004Energy,Availability