Market Coupling

Since 2000, TenneT has been working closely with other European TSOs and power exchanges on coupling the electricity markets in North West Europe. The ultimate aim is to establish a single market in which users of electricity are guaranteed a reliable electricity supply at a competitive price. The electricity markets will be coupled internationally. Traders at local energy exchanges will announce supply and demand levels based on the available (transmission) capacity in the participating countries. The market coupling system then determines the prices to be established in the energy trading zones and the electricity imports and exports between the countries participating in the market coupling system. Coupling these markets establishes a sound basis for further integration of the European electricity market. The Dutch electricity market is already coupled with the Norwegian market via the NorNed cable, while the BritNed cable has established a link with the UK. TenneT is also hard at work on other interconnector projects, including NorNed2 (a second cable link between the Netherlands and Norway), COBRAcable (linking the Netherlands and Denmark), NORDLINK (linking Germany and Norway), and Doetinchem-Wesel (a cross-border interconnector between the Netherlands and Germany).

The advantages offered by electricity market coupling include:
• harmonisation of electricity prices in the coupled region
• more efficient use of existing cross border electricity interconnections
• greater security of supply
• more cost effective electricity tariffs

Information and operational reports regarding the available cross border transmission capacity and auctions results  can be found on the webpages of TenneT with the marketdata . More information

VideoAnimation

Watch the animation about Market Coupling