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Discover the landing pageMaintaining grid balance is crucial to ensuring a stable energy supply. As renewable energy sources such as wind and solar become increasingly dominant, balancing supply and demand has become more complex. A sudden change in weather conditions, such as cloud cover reducing solar output or wind speeds deviating from forecasts, can quickly disrupt the system. Until now, balancing the electricity grid required manual calculations, but with the new system in place, the process is now fully digitalised and automated.
The new system is the result of a collaboration between the transmission system operators in Denmark (Energinet), Sweden (Svenska kraftnät), Norway (Statnett), and Finland (Fingrid), who have worked together on this large-scale IT project. Moving to 15-minute balancing intervals enables better utilisation of energy resources while ensuring a high level of security of supply across the Nordic region.
“The transition to balancing every 15 minutes is, in all modesty, one of the most significant changes to the Nordic electricity markets in recent history. It allows us to better integrate wind and solar power into the energy system while maintaining a high security of supply,” says Kia Marie Jerichau, Head of Flexibility and Balancing at Energinet.
Initial experiences indicate that the system is functioning as intended. Later this year, the Intraday and Day-Ahead markets will also transition to 15-minute trading intervals, further enhancing the efficiency of the electricity market.
Grid balancing occurs when there is either too much or too little electricity in the system. In the case of a deficit, power producers can increase generation, or major consumers can reduce their energy use. Conversely, when there is a surplus, production can be scaled down, or energy-intensive consumers can increase their consumption. The new automated system manages these adjustments seamlessly, reducing the need for manual intervention and ensuring a more responsive and efficient regulation of the power grid.
The new Nordic balancing market—mFRR EAM (manual Frequency Restoration Reserve Energy Activation Market)—officially went live on 4 March 2025 at 13:00.
