CSC-A
1With a CSC-A agreement you may be asked to increase or reduce your use of transport capacity during peak times.
Using electricity flexibly means running your business processes smartly to reduce peaks and relieve bottlenecks on the grid. This allows you to earn money from the flexibility you provide, while also saving on your connection costs.
In addition, participating in congestion management provides clarity: you know in advance which agreements apply and what to expect. This way, you combine financial benefits with certainty, while actively contributing to the energy transition and a reliable electricity grid.
Some business processes are more flexible than others. A cold storage facility can cool at a different time, a grower can heat at another moment, and e-trucks can also be charged overnight.
For many companies, changing processes is less straightforward. Yet, often more is possible than you might think. And the savings or compensation can be so attractive that it’s worth the effort. Therefore, check with your grid operator or a CSP to explore the possibilities.
Flexibility creates space on the grid. This can allow you to do more with your current connection, or get a (temporary) larger connection sooner.
Smart management of your electricity usage brings financial benefits. Think of compensation for flexibility or lower costs during negative or peak prices.
Grid congestion creates uncertainty. By participating in congestion management now, you help define the terms and stay in control.
Your grid operator can inform you about all flexible contract types and products they offer. Ask your account manager about the possibilities or consult a flexibility specialist. For some products, you will also need a CSP. Your grid operator can tell you more about this.
Prefer independent advice or a party that takes all the work off your hands? Then consult a Congestion Service Provider (CSP) about the possibilities of flexible capacity. Not all CSPs offer the same level of support or services. TenneT’s CSP register provides an overview.
Whether you consume or produce large amounts of electricity, we’re happy to think along with you. We’ll help you take your first steps, make sure you quickly get in touch with the right people, and guide you through the rules and possibilities of flexible capacity.
Fill in the form next to this text, and our case manager will contact you as soon as possible.
Grid operators are increasingly able to estimate where and when the electricity grid may come under pressure, based on real-time grid data and forecasts. However, a congestion situation cannot always be predicted down to the exact quarter hour. It depends on factors such as electricity production, consumption, and weather conditions.
When grid operators expect congestion, they deploy flexibility in a targeted way. This can be done in several ways:
In short, grid operators can often identify the main risk areas and moments, but they combine real-time insights with different instruments — such as redispatch and CLCs — to activate flexibility at the right place and time.
Becoming flexible does not automatically remove transport restrictions. Grid operators do everything they can to prevent such limitations, but due to the rapidly growing demand for electricity this is not always possible.
What flexibility does help with is temporarily reducing or managing congestion situations. With the help of customers who make flexible capacity available, grid operators can use GOPACS to smooth out peaks on the grid. These situations are often short-lived, such as busy weeks during the winter. This deployment helps prevent the electricity grid from becoming overloaded and improves the reliability of the system. However, it does not automatically create structural additional transport capacity.
In many cases, increasing your connection capacity still requires grid reinforcement or the construction of additional substations.
In short: flexibility helps prevent problems and makes better use of the existing grid, but it does not replace structural grid expansion.
Flexible capacity that you offer through GOPACS can often also be used in other energy markets, such as FCR, aFRR, or the imbalance market.
Good coordination is essential:
This helps prevent double use of capacity or conflicting activations.
This depends on the flexibility product you choose. When participating through redispatch, you receive compensation based on market prices for the flexibility you provide. With contract types such as a Capacity Limiting Contract (CLC) or a Mandatory Bidding Contract, fixed availability payments or control payments may also apply. The exact compensation structure depends on the grid operator and the specific contract.
