Congratulations to SIDC TSOs & NEMOs on this significant achievement! As of March 18, all but one EU border now supports cross-zonal allocations with 15-minute granularity – a game changer for market efficiency.

The introduction of 15-minute contracts in both intraday continuous and intraday auction cross-zonal capacity allocation marks a major step forward. By improving trading granularity, this milestone enables a more precise alignment between energy generation and consumption, reducing imbalances and strengthening grid reliability.

With shorter trading periods, market participants can react more dynamically – minimizing imbalance penalties and adjustment costs. Better pricing and resource allocation ensure trades accurately reflect real-time market conditions, enabling cross-border 15-minute contract trading closer to delivery.

This development is especially crucial for integrating renewables like wind and solar, whose output fluctuates more than conventional generation. Greater flexibility means less reliance on fossil fuels, supporting a more sustainable & resilient energy system.

Beyond operational benefits, the 15-minute market is set to boost economic efficiency, increase market liquidity, foster competition, and attract new participants. Looking ahead, 15-minute product trading within Single Day-Ahead Market Coupling is expected to follow in 2025.

For over 10 years, E-Bridge Consulting has been supporting European NEMOs & TSOs in the design & implementation of Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC) & Single Intraday Coupling (SIDC). Today, these platforms enhance cross-border trading across 25+ countries, benefiting a total population of over 440 million.