In another landmark move for energy cooperation, Denmark has officially joined PICASSO, a pan-European platform designed to enhance the balance and reliability of power grids across participating nations.
In October 2024, after years of preparation, Denmark officially joined the PICASSO grid initiative. The collaboration allows Danish energy producers to support grid balancing across Europe, strengthening resilience and ensuring cost-effective energy solutions. By enabling cross-border cooperation, the initiative provides Denmark access to a broader pool of balancing resources while also allowing Danish producers to assist neighbouring countries. This step marks a milestone in strengthening Europe’s interconnected energy landscape and further enhances Denmark’s already highly connected grid.
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Denmark’s entry onto the PICASSO platform is the culmination of extensive preparatory work involving changes in procedures, system upgrades and IT development. The initiative allows Danish electricity producers to support neighbouring grids during peak demand times and vice versa, setting a precedent for shared European resilience in the face of fluctuating renewable power sources.
“The green transition is pushing us towards greater electrification, predominantly powered by renewable sources like solar and wind. This reliance on variable power generation brings new challenges to grid stability, especially on calm or cloudy days,”
“With PICASSO, we now have access to a larger pool of balancing resources across Europe, and Danish producers can assist partners, like our Austrian counterpart, in maintaining grid stability.”
Energinet began its involvement with a cautious and phased approach to ensure that integrating with PICASSO would not disrupt supply security for Danish consumers. As the initial stages proved successful, Denmark has incrementally increased its level of engagement on the platform. This methodical approach aims to uphold reliability while unlocking the full potential of PICASSO’s collaborative framework.
In parallel, Energinet has introduced a new market design for aFRR capacity in Denmark’s DK1 region. The updated framework aligns with PICASSO requirements and allows renewable energy sources, batteries and electric boilers to participate in the balancing market.
In the near future, more European TSOs are expected to join PICASSO, contributing to a cooperative framework that aligns with Europe’s goals for a greener, more resilient and secure energy supply.
Facts about PICASSO:
Objective: PICASSO enables TSOs to share and utilise the most cost-effective aFRR bids available across Europe, optimising the balance between supply and demand.
Current scope: DK2, Denmark’s eastern region, is initially connected through the Storebælt cable, with future plans to incorporate the Kontek cable (linking DK2 to Germany) and the COBRA cable.
Projected expansion: By the end of the year, additional European TSOs are expected to join PICASSO, with 27 TSOs envisioned to be part of the platform in the long term.
