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Belgian grid operator Elia procured 2.4GW across two capacity auctions, including 1GW of battery energy storage systems. Germany’s first capacity-market auction procured 5.16GW across 11 projects, reported to be mainly legacy gas generation; the results and prices are not directly comparable.
Belgian grid operator Elia procured 1GW of battery energy storage across two capacity auctions, while Germany’s first capacity-market auction awarded 5.16GW across 11 projects reported to be mainly legacy gas generation. The contrasting outcomes show different roles for batteries in the two countries’ capacity procurement, although their auction prices and structures are not directly comparable.
For Belgium’s 2028–29 delivery period, Elia procured 1.6GW in its Y-2 auction, including 0.5GW of battery energy storage systems, or BESS. The auction cost was approximately €34 million, with a weighted average price of €21,643 per megawatt per year, according to Elia.
For the 2030–31 delivery period, the Y-4 auction procured 0.8GW, including another 0.5GW of BESS. Elia put the cost at approximately €14 million and the weighted average price at €18,143/MW/year. Taken together, the two auctions procured 2.4GW, of which 1GW was battery storage. Elia said no new capacity was procured for 2027–28 because capacity secured in earlier auctions was considered sufficient.
Germany’s first capacity-market auction sought 4.5GW but awarded 5.16GW across 11 projects, according to results published by the Bundesnetzagentur, the country’s industry regulator. The projects appear to be legacy generation, mainly gas, according to Energy-Storage.News. The volume-weighted average price was €155,296/MW/year, which the regulator said was significantly below the maximum price of €244,000/MW/year.
Batteries Win Different Roles
The contrast matters for battery developers and power-system planners because capacity-market awards can shape which resources receive support to be available during periods of tight supply. In Belgium, batteries made up a substantial share of the capacity Elia procured in these two auctions. Germany’s first auction instead selected projects identified in the report as mainly legacy gas generation.
The results do not establish that one country’s design is more favorable overall. The auctions cover different delivery years and procurement volumes, and the reported prices may reflect different rules and market conditions. Still, Germany’s outcome highlights the challenge of securing a place for storage in a procurement round where established generation was able to win capacity.
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Two Markets, Different Auction Results
Belgium’s results cover a Y-2 auction for 2028–29 and a Y-4 auction for 2030–31. The report says the Y-1 auction for 2027–28 procured no additional capacity because previous awards were deemed sufficient. These distinct auction years mean the Belgian totals combine procurement for two separate delivery periods.
Germany’s September auction was the first of two rounds intended to procure a total of 9GW. Its rules were approved by the European Union about a week before the auction, according to the report. Climate groups criticized the approved design as “pro-gas.” The report also said a later, smaller 2GW auction, described as more accessible to storage, was still considered difficult for storage developers to enter. That assessment was discussed at Solar Media’s Energy Storage Summit Germany 2026; it is not an auction result.
“The average volume-weighted price was significantly below the maximum price of €244,000/MW/year.”
— Bundesnetzagentur
Storage’s German Prospects Remain Open
The available results do not identify every project’s technology in detail, and the report characterizes the German winners as projects that “appear” to be legacy generation, mainly gas. The full project list and asset details would be needed to independently establish the technology mix. It is also unclear from the reported figures how much battery capacity, if any, participated in or was eligible for the auction.
The price comparison is indicative, not like-for-like. Belgium’s weighted average prices apply to particular auctions and delivery periods, while Germany’s average reflects a different auction. The source says the German figure is nearly eight times the Belgian figures but cautions that the values may not be directly comparable. The precise effect of auction rules on storage participation is not established by these results alone.
Germany’s Second Auction Ahead
Germany’s first auction is one of two rounds intended to procure 9GW in total. The next round and its final capacity awards will provide a further test of whether storage projects can compete under the country’s market design. The report identifies a separate 2GW auction as a potential route for storage, but says participation was considered challenging; its outcome and timetable are not given in the source material.
In Belgium, the reported procurement covers the 2028–29 and 2030–31 delivery periods, while the 2027–28 Y-1 round required no new capacity. Further results will clarify whether batteries maintain a similar share in later procurement. No new Belgian auction outcome is confirmed here.
Key Questions
How much battery storage did Belgium procure?
Elia procured 1GW of BESS across its Y-2 auction for 2028–29 and Y-4 auction for 2030–31, out of 2.4GW of total capacity.
What did Germany’s first capacity auction award?
The auction awarded 5.16GW across 11 projects, exceeding its 4.5GW target. The projects appear to be mainly legacy gas generation, according to the report.
Were the Belgian and German auction prices directly comparable?
No. The report cautions that the auctions may not be directly comparable because they cover different markets and procurement conditions. It gives Belgian weighted average prices of €21,643/MW/year and €18,143/MW/year, and a German volume-weighted average of €155,296/MW/year.
What happens next in Germany’s capacity market?
The German programme includes a second auction as part of a plan to procure 9GW in total. The source material does not provide the next auction’s date or its eventual results.
Source: energy-storage.news
