The Dutch grid operators Liander, Enexis and Stedin have launched GOPACS Auctions. For the first time, companies can bid publicly on every request from the grid operators for flexible capacity to relieve grid congestion. That is according to Solar Magazine.
From separate tenders to one open marketplace
Until now, the grid operators procured flexible capacity through separate purchasing tracks, region by region and bottleneck by bottleneck. That made life hard for providers: an investment in flexible capacity for a single request often could not be earned back.
GOPACS Auctions puts every request in one central place. Congestion service providers (CSPs), which offer flexibility on behalf of large business customers, can see at a glance which grid operator needs help, where and when. TenneT, the Dutch transmission system operator, will join later.
The figures
- 496 MW: the flexible capacity the grid operators are requesting at launch.
- More than 15,500 companies and institutions in the Netherlands are waiting for a grid connection.
- Three grid operators on the platform at launch, with TenneT following later.
How bidding works
- Request: the grid operator publishes how much flexible capacity it needs, where and when.
- Bid: a CSP states how much flexible capacity it can deliver and at what compensation.
- Award: once bidding closes, the grid operator selects the most efficient bid and records the agreement in a contract.
Requests range from temporary to long-term day-ahead contracts. Under such a contract, a customer can be called upon up to one day in advance to absorb peaks on the grid.
GOPACS Auctions is a transparent alternative to the existing individual procurement tracks, which remain in place where needed. In the coming period, the grid operators, GOPACS and the CSPs will work towards a fully automated process, from public auction to signed contract.
Why it matters
- Investment certainty: with every request visible per region, providers can better match their investments to current and future demand.
- Finding new customers: CSPs can see where grid operators have a structural need for flexibility and approach companies there directly.
- Faster congestion relief: the more flexible capacity becomes available, the faster bottlenecks ease and waiting customers can get connected.
What this means for your projects
In the Netherlands, flexibility is becoming a product with a price. A customer who can shift consumption or generation, with a battery, chargers or controllable processes, can get paid for it through a CSP while helping to relieve the grid. The condition is that the installation delivers reliably and on time when the grid operator calls. An EMS that automatically steers the battery, solar panels and consumption based on a day-ahead call makes that achievable. The Voltmasters EMS does this brand-independently, every quarter hour.
Next step
You can find the current flexibility needs per region at gopacs.eu. Working on a project in the Netherlands and want to know how much flexible capacity it can offer? Get in touch or read more about the Voltmasters EMS.
Source: Liander, Enexis en Stedin gooien deuren open: flexmarkt voor netcongestie nu openbaar (Solar Magazine, 14 October 2026, in Dutch). Photo: Stephan van de Schootbrugge on Unsplash.