Summer Outlook: Elia calls for vigilance from market parties this summer
June 21, 2024 at 09:02 am EDT
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21 June 2024
Summer Outlook: Elia calls for vigilance from market parties this summer
There is a real chance in the months ahead that our energy system will come under pressure on days when a lot of renewable energy is produced but consumption levels are low.
That is the finding of the summer outlook in which Elia maps the export requirements for the months ahead across various scenarios (with high, moderate and low likelihoods of occurring). Elia has noticed a huge increase in the number of additional solar panels in Belgium since the beginning of 2023. According to forecasts, we will have approximately 10 GW of installed panel capacity in Belgium by July 2024. Together with the high level of availability of the nuclear fleet in certain situations, this causes electricity surpluses and so entails substantial export requirements. The market has been given this information so that it can prepare properly. Elia calls on market parties to be vigilant. In the long run, the answer is flexibility, namely tailoring our consumption to cater for times when a lot of energy (in particular, cheap energy) is available.
In the months ahead, with a lot of solar energy but low consumption levels, there is a real chance that there will be surplus electricity at times, meaning that exports will be much needed.
The reason for this is the high level of availability of the nuclear fleet and the substantial increase in renewable (especially solar) energy.
Elia relies primarily on the market (in the form of balance responsible parties, or BRPs) to ensure the balance between electricity supply and demand. Negative prices will occur on the imbalance market.
If the market fails to maintain balance on the grid, Elia has a number of technical tools it can use to intervene if necessary.
In the long term, it is absolutely vital that more flexibility is deployed to support the system.
Press releases
Summer Outlook: Elia calls for vigilance from market parties this summerPDF -197.51 KB
Summer Outlook : Elia appelle les acteurs de marché à la vigilance cet été (in French)PDF -210.69 KB
Summer Outlook: Elia vraagt marktpartijen waakzaam te zijn deze zomer (in Dutch)PDF -204.95 KB
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Elia Group SA/NV is the Belgian transmission system operator, transmitting electricity efficiently, reliably and securely from producers to distribution system operators and major industrial users. The group is responsible for importing and exporting electricity from and to neighbouring countries.
Elia Group SA/NV owns the entire Belgian very high voltage grid (150 to 380 kV) and some 94% (ownership and user rights) of the Belgian high-voltage grid (30 to 70 kV). The grid is a key link between electricity markets in northern and southern Europe. It also links Belgian producers and consumers. Belgium's recent investment in interconnection capacity with its neighbours makes it one of the most open and interconnected grids in Europe.
Elia Group SA/NV has recently expanded its activities on a broader European level and, following its acquisition of the German TSO 50Hertz and in cooperation with Industry Funds Management (IFM), is now one of the top five transmission system operators in Europe.
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