Today Recoy announces that, with the help of Equigy, it has successfully prequalified for automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve (aFRR) services to TenneT, the Dutch Transmission System Operator (TSO). Through aFRR, also known as secondary reserve, TenneT is able to help keep the grid frequency stable in the power market. By pre-qualifying for aFRR, Recoy has become a Balancing Service Provider (BSP).

Recoy’s pre-qualification was achieved by closely working together with Equigy, a joint venture between 6 European TSOs. Equigy enables the integration of small, decentralised units through its Crowd Balancing Platform in a way that is easy and low-cost. It enables connection to TenneT’s secondary reserve market (aFRR) process via the use of modern internet-based technologies which allows for a fast and easy onboarding. The platform is intended to set a new European standard for smaller (aggregated) flexibility to participate in different TSO markets by enabling easy access in a unified way. This enables six national TSOs, and possibly more in future, to work together to promote and improve the market for renewable energy. Martin van ‘t Verlaat (Equigy) states: “Recoy is a front-running company in the area of flexibility, showcasing the potential of smart charging and other flexibility offerings. Aggregators like Recoy play an important role in enabling the energy transition, which is why Equigy works with the 6 shareholding TSOs in five countries to allow easy access to all balancing and congestion markets.”

Recoy has developed the Real-time Optimization Platform (ROP) to optimize flexible assets including chargers for e-bus and e-truck, e-boilers, stationary batteries, electrolyzers and heat storage. For example, Recoy’s ROP allows batteries to charge when energy prices are low and discharge when prices are high on the day-ahead and imbalance markets, within the constraints of a grid connection. Recoy can also optimize value for the asset owner through its role as a Congestion Service Provider (CSP) capturing flexibility value on congestion markets such as GOPACS. As a Balancing Service Provider (BSP) Recoy is now able to capture the full value of energy flexibility. Robert Kleiburg (Recoy) states: “We have decided to qualify for aFRR through Equigy because this will allow us to easily aggregate multiple smaller assets, providing an easy option to connect to the TSO aFRR market in multiple countries.”

“We have decided to qualify for aFRR through Equigy because this will allow us to easily aggregate multiple smaller assets, providing an easy option to connect to the TSO aFRR market in multiple countries.”

TenneT facilitates the market by allowing aggregation of assets to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the secondary reserve market and to support the system balance in The Netherlands. This will make it possible to guarantee the supply of energy over the entire Dutch territory in a more inclusive manner. Consequently, this gives Recoy the opportunity to offer new services to its partners while strengthening its participation in balancing the network.

Allowing aggregation of distributed energy resources results from the implementation of European ambitions for a transition towards the development of smart grids. Together, distributed energy resources provide a big potential for TSO’s to maintain grid security and stability. Aggregation enables operators of assets, such as Recoy, capable of delivering aggregated power up or down in 5 minutes to participate in balancing the network and thus receive additional remuneration.