{"id":12709,"date":"2026-09-22T12:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T10:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/nicht-kategorisiert\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T16:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T14:38:35","slug":"market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/","title":{"rendered":"Market-Based Procurement of Instantaneous Reserve: Opportunities for Battery Storage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since January 2026, Germany has been implementing <strong>market-based procurement of instantaneous reserve capacity<\/strong>. This means that, in principle, battery storage systems and renewable energy plants can also participate in the provision of this system service, provided they meet the technical and contractual requirements. <\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/#Definition-of-terms\" >Definition of terms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/#Legal-Background\" >Legal Background<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/#Why-Instantaneous-Reserve-Will-Be-Procured-on-the-Market-in-the-Future\" >Why Instantaneous Reserve Will Be Procured on the Market in the Future<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/#Technical-Requirements\" >Technical Requirements<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/#Compensation-Model\" >Compensation Model<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/#Relevance-for-Storage-Operators\" >Relevance for Storage Operators<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/#Distinction-from-related-terms\" >Distinction from related terms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/market-based-procurement-of-instantaneous-reserve-opportunities-for-battery-storage\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Definition-of-terms\"><\/span>Definition of terms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instantaneous reserve <strong>stabilizes the grid frequency<\/strong> immediately after a sudden active power imbalance. In synchronous machines, it is physically generated by rotating masses; grid-forming inverters can provide a corresponding response through control mechanisms. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legal-Background\"><\/span>Legal Background<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The legal basis is<strong> Section 12h of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG)<\/strong> in conjunction with Federal Network Agency Regulation BK6-23-010 dated April 22, 2025. It requires the four German transmission system operators to procure this non-frequency-based system service in a transparent, non-discriminatory, and market-based manner. The procurement mechanism is initially valid through the end of 2031.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why-Instantaneous-Reserve-Will-Be-Procured-on-the-Market-in-the-Future\"><\/span>Why Instantaneous Reserve Will Be Procured on the Market in the Future<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Historically, instantaneous reserve capacity was provided exclusively by the rotating masses of conventional power plants\u2014an inherent physical effect that, until now, has not been compensated for separately. However, as the share of renewable energy grows and conventional, rotating generation declines, the grid\u2019s naturally occurring inertia decreases. Market-based procurement is intended to <strong>tap into additional potential in a targeted manner<\/strong> before corresponding requirements are mandated in technical connection rules.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Technical-Requirements\"><\/span>Technical Requirements<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To participate in the new market, systems must have so-called <strong>grid-forming capabilities,<\/strong> as described in the VDE-FNN guideline <strong>\u201cGrid-<\/strong>Forming Capabilities.\u201d Unlike traditional, grid-following inverters, grid-forming systems can independently set voltage and frequency and thus technically provide instantaneous reserve capacity. It is also possible to combine several smaller systems into a single network.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Compensation-Model\"><\/span>Compensation Model<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compensation is based on the selected product\u2014Basic or Premium\u2014as well as on the actual availability of the respective unit. Germany is thus the first country in continental Europe to introduce such a market-based standard for instantaneous reserve. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Relevance-for-Storage-Operators\"><\/span>Relevance for Storage Operators<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For operators of battery storage systems, the new market opens up an additional source of revenue, provided the system is equipped with the necessary grid-supporting technology. Since the market will still be in its early stages in 2026, operators with appropriately equipped systems can benefit from a competitive environment that is still relatively manageable. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Distinction-from-related-terms\"><\/span>Distinction from related terms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not to be confused with:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/black-start-capability\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"11284\">Black-start capability<\/a>: also a non-frequency-based, market-based system service, but it pertains to restoring the grid after a complete blackout rather than ongoing grid stabilization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/primary-control-reserve-prl\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5532\">Primary control power (PRL)<\/a>: responds to frequency deviations within seconds, but with a time lag compared to the immediate instantaneous reserve<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/control-energy-stabilizing-the-power-grid-in-the-event-of-fluctuations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5026\">Control energy<\/a>: an overarching concept for frequency-based system services, whereas instantaneous reserve is procured on a non-frequency-based basis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the <strong>market-based procurement of instantaneous reserve capacity<\/strong>, battery storage systems and renewable energy plants will, for the first time, be able to <strong>actively<\/strong> contribute to grid stability <strong>and receive compensation for<\/strong> doing so starting in January 2026. For storage operators with the appropriate equipment, this creates a new, still-emerging source of revenue alongside established markets such as balancing energy and intraday trading. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since January 2026, Germany has been implementing market-based procurement of instantaneous reserve capacity. This means that, in principle, battery storage systems and renewable energy plants can also participate in the provision of this system service, provided they meet the technical and contractual requirements. Definition of terms Instantaneous reserve stabilizes the grid frequency immediately after a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_type":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[107,102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-m-n-o-p","category-wiki"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12709"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12710,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12709\/revisions\/12710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}