Frequently asked questions

GOPACS is the tool by and for grid operators to reduce capacity shortages on the electricity grid, or congestion, to keep the grid reliable and affordable. Hiervoor is regelbaar, flexibel vermogen nodig van marktpartijenengroot zakelijke gebruikers.

GOPACS is a partnership of the Dutch grid operators to engage in joint congestion management. This form of cooperation is unique within Europe. Cooperation ensures that solving a problem in one part of the network does not create a problem in another part of the network.

For free market bids via redispatch, GOPACS uses orders on the existing energy market platforms ETPA and EPEX Spot. Participating parties trade electricity by placing buy orders and sell orders on a trading platform. Bids can be transacted across trading platforms. We call this Cross-Platform activation.

If congestion is expected, GOPACS calculates at lightning speed whether orders meet the following conditions: 1. Does the order include location information 2. Does it solve the congestion situation 3. Does not cause new congestion at another location in the power grid

The price difference (the spread) between the buy order and a sell order is paid by the grid operators. This creates a match between the orders on the market platform and thus solves the congestion situation.

Participation in GOPACS is of interest to any market participant that can influence its electricity consumption or generation. Read more about participating here.

Grid operators increasingly face grid congestion. GOPACS allows participants to easily help resolve congestion situations with their available flexibility. Participating in GOPACS also provides additional earning opportunities with your flexible assets.

The ability of parties in the congestion area and parties outside it is needed. This is because grid operators must maintain balance on the grid at all times. GOPACS thus provides a win-win situation: grid operators can solve congestion situations and participants can generate additional revenue.

Congestion is the situation where the demand for transmission of electricity exceeds the available transmission capacity. So there is a shortage of transmission capacity on the power grid.

If this is structural, the grid operator will increase the capacity of the electricity grid or expand the grid. However, this is a multi-year process. In the meantime, by shifting locations where electricity is used and delivered, the grid operator is trying to reduce demand for transmission.

This is done with the help from the market such as wholesale customers, aggregators and energy suppliers.

They can help if they can shift their consumption or generation of electricity to another time. Energy can also be temporarily stored. This creates the desired flexibility and can prevent or reduce peaks in the power grid.

When a grid operator expects a shortage of transport capacity (congestion) in the grid, we ask the market to help resolve this by adjusting their energy consumption—the flexibility bid.

This steering creates flexibility. For example, a cold store can turn off its freezer cells for two hours at the time of peak demand without affecting the temperature. This makes additional capacity available for another customer.

For more information on congestion, see the ‘About congestion management‘ page.

Congestion management is the set of measures deployed by network operators to mitigate the effects of congestion and prevent the network from becoming overloaded. Whereas congestion indicates the problem of capacity shortage, congestion management focuses on the practical solutions to deal with these bottlenecks. Congestion management is crucial for a stable, affordable and sustainable energy supply in the Netherlands. It will become increasingly important as power demand and the share of renewables continue to grow. Read more about congestion management here.

Network operators can provide some outlines – based on the recent past, for example – but cannot predict precisely. Grid operators always determine whether congestion is expected somewhere. If this proves to be the case, GOPACS is deployed. A market message is then sent, via the application, where and when power is needed.

You can find all areas here: https://capaciteitskaart.netherlands.en/

If the supply of or demand for electricity is greater than the electricity grid in a given region can handle, the grid operator calls on the market to use or generate more or less electricity. The market includes parties such as energy suppliers and aggregators and wholesale customers.

These companies then indicate the price at which they wish to do so, called flex bid (also called congestion bid). If the flex bid is taken, the market participant receives a fee for it.

The amount of electricity transmitted through the grid varies from moment to moment. The more capacity used, the sooner a spike in usage can cause the power grid to overload. By shifting times when electricity is used or fed back, grid operators can better match supply and demand to avoid overloading the electricity grid.

To avoid those peaks on the grid, grid operators ask the market to temporarily defer or reduce their electricity consumption (or generation) for a market-based fee. We call this a flex bid.

If we expect congestion, a shortage of transmission capacity, in a given period, we hope to use flex bids from the market to resolve this situation.

If certain customers can temporarily postpone or reduce their consumption or actually increase their consumption, depending on the type of congestion, we hope this will reduce the peak. We also call this “flattening the curve.

If that succeeds then demand or supply no longer exceeds available transmission capacity and the congestion problem of the moment is solved.

You can set your own price. The market ultimately determines whether what you ask is real. It depends on the moment, how much demand there is, the number of bids and what prices are being asked by other parties.

Yes, you get this message from your grid operator. This will ask you to place flex bids in the congestion portal for the period when congestion is expected in the area in which you are located.

To be able to submit flex bids through GOPACS, you need an accreditation as a CSP. You can request this through TenneT. You can also have your flex bids handled by a CSP. You don’t then have to be a CSP yourself. They collect demand and supply from their clients and place bids on behalf of their clients. On TenneT’s website you can find a complete overview of all recognized CSPs.

You can see that in the congestion portal. In addition, all declines are also published on the grid operators’ websites and on GOPACS.eu

Whether your flex bid is called depends on the amount of congestion, the number of bids and also on the price you charge.

Unfortunately, that is not possible. The grid operators use the date of entry for all applications to determine the order of priority.

Whether or not to participate in making flex bids is separate from that. However, it is of course true that our goal with the flex bids is to reduce congestion situations c.q. fix it and that all customers benefit from it.

Grid operators do as much as possible to avoid transportation restrictions. Unfortunately, due to huge demand, this is not always possible. In some cases, with the help of our customers who have flex available, we can mitigate the congestion situation. This often involves a short period such as a few weeks in winter, for example.

This prevents problems on the power grid. However, this does not mean that this will also make additional capacity available for companies to expand their electricity capacity. This is another step further that in many cases is unfortunately not possible until we have the power grid upgraded or expanded with an additional station.

You can find all information about our congestion products here: www.gopacs.eu/en/products/when-which-product/.

A Capacity Limiting Contract (CBC) is agreed in advance and limits the maximum grid usage during peak moments (day-ahead). A Mandatory Bidding Contract obliges the participant to submit bids via redispatch (intraday) when a congestion situation is expected. Both contracts are used by grid operators to manage congestion.

For more information and to enter into a capacity reduction contract, please contact your system operator. This contract is negotiated directly between you and your network operator.

For more information and to enter into a bidding contract, please contact your grid operator. This contract is concluded directly between the grid operator and you, the customer. For more information, see the page on bid obligation contracts.

Yes, even in non-market-based congestion management, deployment of a CSP is mandatory. As an affiliate, you must be an approved CSP yourself or be represented by a CSP. The CSP then submits bids on your behalf.

If you participate via redispatch, you will receive a compensation based on market prices for the flexibility delivered. For contract types such as a Capacity Limiting Contract (CBC) or Mandatory Bidding Contract, fixed availability or activation fees may also apply. These vary depending on the grid operator and contract.

Prices are set by the market, not GOPACS. A match through GOPACS provides a match that would not otherwise have occurred in principle. This is because a grid operator pays the spread between two orders. Both market participants involved receive or pay the amount of the deposited order.

Payment is made through the trading platform. Grid operators use orders only if they are provided with location data and they contribute to the cost-effective resolution of congestion in the electricity grid. To avoid congestion, an order has value only if it is provided with location data.

Unfortunately, the grid operator cannot offer off-take guarantees. Whether your bid is taken advantage of depends on the time and location. The system operator selects the bid required to resolve the congestion situation.

When an order is matched via GOPACS, you as a market participant will receive notification of this from the trading platform. Financial settlement is also done through the trading platform.

The connection must be measurable via an EAN code and equipped with appropriate metering equipment. Reliable and up-to-date measurement data must be available, and the flexible capacity must be controllable on request. In many cases, the flexible capacity must be at least 100 kW to qualify for available contract types.

If your bid is selected by GOPACS, you will receive a confirmation through the trading platform. You are then obligated to deliver your flexibility as bid. The execution and compensation are settled administratively via your CSP and the platform.

No that is not possible. You will only find legal publication obligations (Netcode and ENTSO-E) on GOPACS.eu and Tennet.eu.

You can view congestion calls from the grid operators and TenneT on our announcements page. The decreased orders, volume and prices can be viewed on the Taken Orders page. For more on this, check out our Explanation of Congestion Dates page.

The CSP provides congestion management services on behalf of one or more connected parties, in accordance with the conditions of the Netcode. This is what a CSP does for affiliates with a GTV of 01 MW or higher. Read more about the role of CSP’s here.

Yes, the CSP recognition is nationwide and thus applies to all grid operators. Registration as a CSP is only required once. However, you must additionally complete a prequalification per connection.

The recognition procedure for CSP applies in principle to everyone. Each party must go through the CSP approval process. There is, however, an accelerated registration process available for parties that were already providing congestion management services via GOPACS or RESIN before the new Netcode (2022).

Cross-Platform Activation (XPA) allows buying and selling bids from different platforms (as ETPA and EPEX SPOT) to be “matched” with each other, regardless of which platform the bid was made on. Smaller bids on different platforms can thus be combined into a larger bid that meets the grid operator’s demand. With XPA, congestion situations are resolved faster and XPA increases the likelihood of on-call.

Many assets used for GOPACS can also be deployed on other markets, such as FCR, aFRR, or the imbalance market. This requires coordination with your CSP and BRP to avoid double usage or conflicting signals.

You can sign up for a GOPACS account on this page. Would you first like to know more about participating? You can find that information here.

On this page you will find the congestion areas for which grid operators are making or have made a call for proposals.

Large consumers who place flex bids in the congestion portal find their bills there. Organizations that place orders through a trading platform find their invoices there.

There are no direct costs for using GOPACS. However, costs may arise from working with a CSP or from internal adjustments required to make your installation suitable for participation.

You can reach us via the contact form on the contact page. Are you a wholesale customer or from a market party? Then you can also call your relationship manager at your own network operator.

Unfortunately, we cannot be reached by phone. It is best to use the contact form for your questions. Because GOPACS is a partnership of the grid operators, this is the fastest way to make sure your question gets to the right person. However, you can call the relationship manager of your network operator. Here you can also ask questions about GOPACS, congestion management in general and flexible contracts.