4:50 20 November 2025
Balancing services reshape market
As renewables expand, the stability of Poland’s power system increasingly depends on rapid balancing between forecasted and actual generation. Balancing services—FCR, aFRR, mFRR and RR—allow the grid operator PSE to adjust output in real time and maintain frequency. Procured through daily auctions worth more than PLN 2 billion annually, they offer renewable producers and storage operators a new revenue stream, largely independent of electricity prices.
A 2024 market reform opened these auctions to RES and energy storage, previously dominated by conventional plants. Respect Energy’s latest report notes that Poland’s aFRR prices, averaging PLN 181/MW/h in 2025, are far above Germany (PLN 45–55) and the Netherlands (PLN 80–90), creating strong margins for early participants.
This window will narrow: more than 1 GW of storage and 4 GW of qualifying wind and solar are expected by 2027, pushing prices down 60–70%. Over time, storage units—able to respond instantly and round-the-clock—will become the core providers of balancing services. Respect Energy stresses that success will hinge on forecasting, data analysis and disciplined bidding strategy.
