Electricity Supply Security and Capacity Act (StromVKG) – results of first auction for long-term capacity
Year of issue 2026
Date of issue 2026.11.03
The Bundesnetzagentur has today announced the results of the first auction for long-term capacity that closed for bids on 8 September 2026.
“The auction saw intense competition among the different technologies – power plants and electricity storage facilities – and this resulted in relatively low award prices. The outcome of the auction is an important first step in securing a long-term, cost-efficient supply of electricity. The regional spread of the winning bids will help to safeguard network operation,”
said Klaus Müller, President of the Bundesnetzagentur. “The increasingly volatile system needs sufficient controllable capacity that can respond in any situation. We now have the certainty that this capacity will actually be built. The Bundesnetzagentur will swiftly prepare for the second auction and make all the necessary arrangements for a launch in the capacity market.”
Auction results
The volume up for auction in this round was 4,500 megawatts of reduced capacity (rMW). A total of 41 bids with a combined volume of about 11,958 rMW were submitted. Seven bids were disqualified because, for example, they did not include the essential information as required by law or the necessary supporting documents.
The Bundesnetzagentur awarded 11 bids with a total volume of about 5,160 rMW. The fact that this volume is higher than the actual auction volume of 4,500 rMW is due to the fact that the bid that resulted in the auction volume being exceeded was still awarded in full.
The federal state with the most volume awarded was North Rhine-Westphalia (3 awards with about 2,118 rMW), followed by Brandenburg (4 awards, about 1,819 rMW), Saxony (2 awards, about 910 rMW), Bavaria (1 award, about 269 rMW) and Baden-Württemberg (1 award, about 45 rMW).
The average volume-weighted award price was €155,296 per rMW per year, which is well below the price cap set of €244,000.
Next steps
Details of the results of the first auction for long-term capacity are available on the Bundesnetzagentur’s website at www.bundesnetzagentur.de/1111198.
The Bundesnetzagentur is now making swift preparations for the second auction for long-term capacity. The date for this auction will be announced on 10 November 2026. All the necessary arrangements for a launch in a capacity market will be made.