Elia Transmission Belgium has published the results of three Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM) auctions, covering delivery periods 2027-2028, 2028-2029 and 2030-2031. The Belgian grid operator said it has contracted the capacity set by the Minister of Energy, and that offered volumes exceeded demand in all three auctions.
For 2027-2028, a total of 6.5 GW has been contracted across all CRM auctions held for that period, at a cost of about €200 million and a weighted average price of €30,944 per MW per year. The Y-1 auction added no capacity. According to Elia, the Minister of Energy changed the scenario compared with earlier auctions for the period, and the required volume fell to zero after adjustments for cross-border contributions and for capacity that is available in the market without taking part in the auction.
The Y-2 auction for 2028-2029 contracted 1.6 GW, bringing the total contracted for that period to 5.8 GW. New batteries accounted for around 0.5 GW. Elia said some of these projects will be available earlier than their multi-year contracts require and can already contribute capacity. The auction cost about €34 million, at a weighted average price of €21,643 per MW per year.
The Y-4 auction for 2030-2031 contracted 0.8 GW, lifting the total for that period to 4.9 GW together with existing long-term contracts. New batteries again made up about 0.5 GW, and both one-year and multi-year contracts were awarded. Offered capacity exceeded demand by 3.1 GW. The auction cost about €14 million, at a weighted average price of €18,143 per MW per year.
The CRM was set up in the context of Belgium’s partial nuclear phase-out and pays market players to keep electricity capacity available. Elia describes it as market-wide and technology-neutral, so different capacity providers compete directly. The results are relevant beyond Belgium: Belgian capacity adequacy affects flows in the interconnected North Sea and continental grids, and battery storage is increasingly winning a share of capacity auctions in Europe.
