Elia publishes economic optimisation framework for balancing products

Elia published an economic optimisation paper for balancing products on 21 May 2025, outlining the logic it applies when selecting between aFRR and mFRR in the Belgian bidding zone. The document addresses least-cost activation sequencing, a key lever for TSOs managing imbalance while controlling procurement spend. No aggregate cost figures were disclosed in the headline release.

The optimisation framework connects directly to Elia's existing incentive structure for aFRR and mFRR providers, first formalised in September 2023. That earlier document defines prequalification requirements, control tolerances, and the penalty scale applied when BSPs deviate from activation instructions: the compliance layer that makes economic dispatch credible.

Taken together, the two publications signal Elia is tightening the link between provider incentives and real-time cost minimisation ahead of its broader CRM revision cycle. A detailed CRM info session is flagged for March 2026, at which point the interaction between capacity remuneration and balancing product economics is likely to come into sharper focus.