Hydro
Sell electricity & reserve power as part of the Virtual Power Plant
Hydropower is an important renewable energy source in Belgium as it can deliver reserve power from controllable turbines. At Next Kraftwerke we can support you in making profitable use of the full potential of your hydropower. We bring you quickly and easily to power trading and the reserve power market - with above-average profits through real-time data evaluation and exact forecasts.
Power trading for hydro power plants
Our offer
Sell your hydroelectric power via Next Kraftwerke or let us optimize your strategy for you. The Next Pool comprises several small and medium-sized run-of-river power plants. Next Kraftwerke's sales team has extensive experience in operating hydroelectric power plants in the short and long term electricity markets. Of course Next Kraftwerke also buys your green certificates.
Full service: We integrate your hydropower plant into the virtual power plant using the protocol interface of your plant or our own Next Box interface and trade your electricity on the European power exchanges. You continue to feed in your generated electricity as usual.
Many years of expertise: The electricity you generate is traded by our experienced team of analysts and traders on the EEX and EPEX Spot power exchanges. The data generated from all units of our virtual power plant is essential in this process: live power and delivery data from thousands of power plants form the basis for extremely accurate forecasts. In addition, we continuously update market data from various trading centres, as well as the results of our own weather analyses.
Attractive revenue opportunities: You receive the electricity exchange revenues as well as the proceeds from the sale of your certificates of origin and your green electricity certificates. By collecting and analyzing data, we can trade electricity from renewable energy sources competitively, while continuing to promote the integration of decentralised systems in the market.
Reserve Power
Sell the flexibility of your hydropower plant
Solar and wind power plants produce varying amounts of electricity depending on weather conditions, resulting in fluctuations in grid frequency. To compensate for this fluctuation, transmission system operators (TSOs) need a control reserve - something you can provide with your hydro plant. Nuclear and coal-fired power plants cannot adjust their output quickly. The same applies to wind and solar installations, which depend on the weather. However, your hydro plant can quickly adapt to electricity generation, and this flexibility is a valuable asset in the reserve power market.
Quickly ready to go: We carry out the required test procedure for participation in the control energy market, the prequalification, for you.
Perfectly tailored for you: Together with you, we analyse on which reserve market your hydroelectric plant generates the highest value. Of course, we also consider individual specifications of your plant.
Generate additional revenue: After a successful prequalification, your hydroelectric installation is valued on the reserve electricity market and is rewarded with a capacity fee and, in certain cases, an activation fee.
Future-oriented: By participating in the balancing energy market, you contribute to an integration of renewable energies into the power system, strengthen the security of supply and thus actively support the success of the energy transition.
My Power Plant
Keep an eye on the commercialization of your hydropower plant
You can view and manage the status of your plant in our online customer area "My Power Plant". Here you can view loading profiles, modify your data and download your invoices. "My Power Plant" is accessible from a desktop computer or via our Apple or Android application.
Feed-in and revenue data: You can see what your hydropower feeds in and how high your revenues turn out.
Fault notification: You can be notified of faults via the app.
Maintenance times: You can conveniently register maintenance and repair times via the portal.
FAQ Hydro
Frequently asked questions
Here you will find answers to many questions concerning the commercialization of your hydropower in the virtual power plant. We will also be happy to answer your questions personally. Just get in touch with us!
We integrate your hydropower plant into the VPP using a protocol interface like our Next Box. We use a secure mobile data connection to connect your hydroelectric facility to the virtual power plant. Our mobile data link infrastructure is widely tested and certified by European TSOs and authorities. The data connection is established using an encrypted virtual private network (VPN), via IEC 60870-5-104 or Modbus TCP protocols. The connection of your unit's data with the virtual power plant is not only necessary for a mutual exchange of information. It can also be used to improve network stability by submitting control signals. In the event of an electricity shortage, your hydropower plant can increase in capacity in order to balance the electricity network; in the presence of much or too much electricity on the network, your plant is throttled or stopped.
The Next Box is your link to the virtual power plant. Communication between your hydroelectric plant and our control system takes place via a secure mobile connection that meets a legally prescribed requirement for the telecontrol capacity of a plant. The Next Box also enables you to operate your system according to a price-based scheme, which opens up additional trading opportunities.
All plants in the virtual power plant supply data to our control system so that we always have an overview of the available aggregated capacity. Almost all commands executed by the Virtual Power Plant controller are automated via M2M communication. Strict safety standards are complied at any time.
Primary, secondary and tertiary reserves are negotiated by the Belgian TSO Elia during auctions on the control reserve markets. Market participants submit initial bids for the capacity price, which are sorted by amount in a merit order list. For the secondary and tertiary reserve, successful suppliers participate in a second auction and submit bids for the unit price. If the control pool is required, the suppliers with the lowest price receive the RFx first. Higher offers follow in order. If a control reserve order is placed, secondary and tertiary reserve suppliers also receive the additional unit price. While the FCR and the RRF are subject to a weekly call for tenders, the RRFm is subject to a monthly call for tenders. In addition, Elia offers part of its FCR power on the regional market regelleistung.net.
It's very simple: Contact us and we will analyze the potential of your hydropower plant. Simply fill out the contact form below or contact us directly by mail at info@next-kraftwerke.be or by phone at +32 (0) 2 342 02 68.
Numbers & Facts
Aggregated Units
Networked Capacity
Volume of traded energy
Employees
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Foundation
All services under one roof
Next Kraftwerke brings all the experts together under one roof to successfully market your hydropower: our engineers, technicians and traders work closely with our sales and customer service team to ensure the best possible results in the electricity market.