Market & Innovation

 

Here you will find an overview of all current articles. 

 

How wind farm operators are meeting the stricter NIS2 requirements

May 2026

IT security – or cyber security – is becoming an increasingly important issue, particularly in the age of AI, which actively searches for vulnerabilities in systems. We have summarised the key legislation and what operators need to bear in mind.

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Data centres and PPAs –
strategic electricity procurement with substance

May 2026

Today, data centres face the challenge of ensuring their electricity supply is reliable, cost-effective and compliant with regulatory requirements. We explain the requirements data centres face, how Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) can meet these needs, and why common reservations no longer hold water.

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Where the industry comes together: the Wind Industry Day in Schleswig-Holstein

April 2026

With 800 registrations, the organisers recorded a record attendance for the 2026 Wind Industry Day. No wonder: the entire industry came together here – from politicians and trade associations to project developers and direct marketers – thereby demonstrating the event’s relevance to the sector.

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Changes to nEHS Trading – Transition to the Auction Mechanism

March 2026

The National Emissions Trading Scheme (nEHS) transitioned to an auction-based system in early 2026, and new sectors were included—such as fuel distributors. As a result, the nEHS is now a market-based system whose allowances are traded on the EEX exchange. Vattenfall supports customers in this process as an intermediary.

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20 years ago today

March 2026

We’ve been writing newsletters for our clients for many years. So we’ve dug through our archives and would like to share with you regular, engaging, and entertaining looks back at the energy industry and Germany as it was 20 years ago.

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Market outlook

March 2026

The energy market is firmly in the grip of the military conflict in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Find out in the market outlook why electricity and gas prices started the year on a steady note despite the cold weather, and what impact the war is now having on oil prices in particular.

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5 Questions… About OTC electricity and gas trading

March 2026

We are often asked how exchange trading differs from OTC trading and what the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of energy trading are. Many customers also want to know how they can participate in wholesale trading themselves. We have summarized the key facts in our “5 Questions” section.

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Efficiency instead of bottlenecks:
How Vattenfall is optimizing grid connections in Hommerdingen

March 2026

In the southern Eifel region, we are building a hybrid park with wind and solar power plants that share a grid connection. While the connection poses challenges and requires intelligent control, marketing via power purchase agreements makes it all the more interesting for customers.

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New legal situation regarding redispatch in distribution networks

February 2026

In order to integrate renewables into the market in the best possible way, redispatch must become a robust system suitable for mass business for the energy transition. However, even four years after its introduction, many processes are still not functioning properly. That is why new regulations are now in place – primarily for accounting purposes.

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Nordlicht offshore wind cluster:
a milestone for the energy transition in Germany

December 2025

Vattenfall's Nordlicht I wind farm is Germany's largest offshore wind project. It is part of the Nordlicht I and II cluster. Its size, the amount of electricity it produces and the steel used in its construction are setting the course for a fossil-free future – especially for customers who will be purchasing renewable electricity through PPAs.

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The industrial electricity price is coming. Principles of the draft and options for Vattenfall customers.

December 2025

The pros and cons have been debated at length, and now it is in the starting blocks: the industrial electricity price. Legislators have finalised the details, adhering closely to the provisions of EU state aid law, and are now awaiting approval from Brussels. We explain the principles and what they mean for customers in energy trading.

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Advantages of power purchase agreements – at a glance

December 2025

Power purchase agreements (PPAs) are increasingly offering an opportunity to implement large renewable energy projects without government subsidies – and more and more industrial companies are benefiting from this. There has been much speculation about PPAs in connection with industrial electricity prices. We summarise the advantages of PPAs.

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Market outlook

December 2025

The individual commodities in energy trading are currently going their own ways – and natural correlations such as electricity and emission allowances are decoupling. Gas is also trading lower than storage levels in the last quarter would suggest. 

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Biodiversity, agriculture and free-range hens in the PV park

November 2025

Whether it's agri-PV with peas, oats, wheat, barley and 15,000 laying hens or a biodiversity park that goes far beyond the minimum legal requirements for species diversity, we integrate renewable energies into industrial applications and enable electricity partnerships – for example in the form of CPPAs.

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20 years ago - a look back at politics, society and energy

December 2025

We have been writing newsletters for our customers for many years. We have therefore rummaged through our archives and would like to regularly offer you exciting and amusing reviews of the energy industry and Germany 20 years ago.

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"You can't negotiate with physics.
Nature follows its own laws."

October 2025

One of the leading climate researchers has summarised the physical fundamentals of climate change for us. What can we expect in the coming decades, and what does this mean for the actions of commercial enterprises such as ours or our customers? Let us actively shape the change!

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Market outlook

September 2025

The energy market calmed down somewhat in the third quarter of 2025. Most players consider the supply situation to be good, which was also reflected in relatively low trading ranges for longer-term products. It will be interesting to see how the rather low gas storage levels will affect the market.

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5 questions: Is biomethane = biomethane?

September 2025

In our ‘5 Questions...’ section, we highlight current topics from the energy industry or energy trading. This time, we address questions posed by participants in our biomethane webinar. The focus here was primarily on the risks and potential applications of this natural gas substitute.

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No longer wishful thinking: AI in energy trading

August 2025

Voice assistants, navigation systems, facial recognition – we already use artificial intelligence everywhere. It is also used in electricity trading, because increasing dependence on the weather means that the demand for data is constantly growing. This complexity is almost impossible for humans to manage. We explain examples of how AI is used.

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Day-ahead exchange trading in 15-minute instead of 60-minute intervals

June 2025

It was actually supposed to start on 11 June - but EPEX Spot has called for the introduction of quarter-hour trading to be postponed until 30 September. Why do quarter-hours make sense in the day-ahead auction and why does the exchange still need some time to prepare? We explain!

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Market outlook

June 2025

The energy market was extremely unsettled in the second quarter of 2025 and was characterised by geopolitical news: The markets were influenced by the USA's unstable tariff policy, the war in Ukraine and hopes for tentative talks between the warring parties.

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5 questions about...battery storage systems

May 2025 

At Vattenfall, we invest in battery storage ourselves - but above all, we support our customers in investing and optimizing wholesale storage in the best possible way. In our “5 questions” this time, we focus on topics that our customers often ask us about.

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Negative spot prices - is a gift still too expensive?

April 2025

Negative spot prices - a gift is still too expensive? In 2024, the day-ahead prices on EPEX SPOT were negative in 457 hours - this corresponds to five per cent of the 8,784 hours of the year. During these hours, an electricity producer has to pay money for the electricity it generates and the buyer receives the money. A topsy-turvy world that is becoming increasingly common and which we want to take a closer look at.

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Market outlook

March 2025

The first quarter of 2025 is history. Time to take an initial look back and categorise market developments to date. Important factors were the mild winter, lower gas prices and weakening prices for emission allowances. Nevertheless, the electricity spot market increased significantly compared to the same quarter of the previous year. 

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EFET framework agreements -
Energy trading with the industry standard

March 2025

Anyone who has ever traded an annual band knows that even a 1 MW band results in a volume of 8,760 MWh - corresponding to the 8,760 hours of a year. At current base load prices of over 90 euros/MWh, this adds up to around 800,000 euros. Such trading transactions must be contractually secured.

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Dark doldrums - a
A threat to the energy supply or a driver for the energy transition?

February 2025

The term ‘dark doldrums’ refers to days with little sun and wind and is often used to express a certain scepticism towards renewable energies. But what is behind it? Do the high prices on such days really mean that the electricity market is not working? 

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5 questions about... Remote controllability of wind and solar systems

January 2025

As direct marketers, we are repeatedly asked by system operators what requirements they have to fulfil with regard to remote controllability. At the same time, there is often a lack of clarity regarding the differences between grid-related and market-related curtailment. We bring light into the darkness. 

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You can find more articles here.