Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE), the operator of Poland’s national power system, activated the capacity market call mechanism on Tuesday afternoon for four hours due to insufficient power reserves. This marks only the third time the instrument has been used since the capacity market was introduced.
The call period was announced for June 30, 2026, initially covering 18:00–21:00 and later extended to include 21:00–22:00. PSE informed that units contracted under the capacity market must deliver electricity regardless of operational conditions or costs.
The decision came after a combination of factors strained the system. A heatwave pushed up demand, several conventional units suffered outages, and wind generation fell short of forecasts.
Heatwave, outages and low wind behind the decision
– According to projections, the power reserve was insufficient. This results from system load, higher demand caused by the heatwave, failures in conventional units and lower than forecast wind generation – said Maciej Wapiński, PSE spokesperson.
Several units at the Kozienice power plant (200 MW each) were unavailable, and the largest block at the Turów power plant (444 MW) was also offline. Similar conditions in neighbouring countries made importing electricity difficult and expensive.
The average market price (RCE) during the call period exceeded 2000 PLN/MWh, reflecting the tight supply situation.
What the call mechanism means for market participants
The call serves as a signal for capacity market units to prepare and fulfil their capacity obligations. Generators must supply the required power level, while Demand Side Response (DSR) units must reduce their consumption. Failure to comply results in financial penalties.
The reserve shortfall during the call period ranged from 400 to 800 MW. PSE emphasised that the mechanism is triggered only when the system faces a genuine risk of insufficient reserve capacity.
Third activation in market history
The first call occurred on September 23, 2022, when the mechanism was still officially referred to as a threat period. The second took place on November 6, 2024. Both previous activations lasted several hours, similar to Tuesday’s event.
Tuesday’s extension of the call period by an additional hour suggests that system conditions remained challenging into the evening.
Źródło: wnp.pl, Fot. Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne
