Elia connects to PICASSO for cross-border aFRR exchange

Elia Transmission Belgium confirmed it has successfully accessed PICASSO, the pan-European platform for exchanging aFRR (secondary balancing) energy. The announcement, published 28 November 2024, marks Belgium's integration into a cross-border merit-order mechanism that allows TSOs to procure balancing energy from the cheapest available source across participating zones rather than solely from domestic providers.

PICASSO operates under the EU Electricity Balancing Guideline and is coordinated by ENTSO-E. By connecting, Elia can both offer Belgian aFRR capacity to other TSOs and draw on foreign capacity when domestic resources are constrained or expensive. The platform runs on a 4-second activation cycle, placing tight demands on the technical interfaces Elia has now satisfied.

The move sits alongside Elia's April 2025 update to its specific prequalification process, which governs which assets can participate in Belgian balancing markets. Together, the two steps broaden the set of resources that can contribute to Belgium's frequency restoration reserves while exposing Belgian providers to European-scale competition for balancing contracts.