
Hydro
Sell electricity & reserve power as part of the Virtual Power Plant
Hydropower is an important renewable energy source in Belgium as it can deliver reserve power from controllable turbines. At Next Kraftwerke we can support you in making profitable use of the full potential of your hydropower. We bring you quickly and easily to power trading and the reserve power market - with above-average profits through real-time data evaluation and exact forecasts.
Power trading for hydro power plants
Our offer
Sell your hydroelectric power via Next Kraftwerke or let us optimize your strategy for you. The Next Pool comprises several small and medium-sized run-of-river power plants. Next Kraftwerke's sales team has extensive experience in operating hydroelectric power plants in the short and long term electricity markets. Of course Next Kraftwerke also buys your green certificates.
Full service: We integrate your hydropower plant into the virtual power plant using the protocol interface of your plant or our own Next Box interface and trade your electricity on the European power exchanges. You continue to feed in your generated electricity as usual.
Many years of expertise: The electricity you generate is traded by our experienced team of analysts and traders on the EEX and EPEX Spot power exchanges. The data generated from all units of our virtual power plant is essential in this process: live power and delivery data from thousands of power plants form the basis for extremely accurate forecasts. In addition, we continuously update market data from various trading centres, as well as the results of our own weather analyses.
Attractive revenue opportunities: You receive the electricity exchange revenues as well as the proceeds from the sale of your certificates of origin and your green electricity certificates. By collecting and analyzing data, we can trade electricity from renewable energy sources competitively, while continuing to promote the integration of decentralised systems in the market.

You receive the income from the direct sale of your hydroelectric power from two sources: Next Kraftwerke pays you the income from the sale of your electricity on the power exchange. Our real-time data assessment and highly qualified progonoses and analysts enable us to negotiate your electricity very efficiently. In addition, you will receive the proceeds from the sale of your certificates of origin and green electricity certificates from the transmission system operator. No additional fees for you, no trading or market access fees. Another important point: unlike our competitors, we assume the balancing risks ourselves instead of transferring them to you.
Reserve Power
Sell the flexibility of your hydropower plant
Solar and wind power plants produce varying amounts of electricity depending on weather conditions, resulting in fluctuations in grid frequency. To compensate for this fluctuation, transmission system operators (TSOs) need a control reserve - something you can provide with your hydro plant. Nuclear and coal-fired power plants cannot adjust their output quickly. The same applies to wind and solar installations, which depend on the weather. However, your hydro plant can quickly adapt to electricity generation, and this flexibility is a valuable asset in the reserve power market.
Quickly ready to go: We carry out the required test procedure for participation in the control energy market, the prequalification, for you.
Perfectly tailored for you: Together with you, we analyse on which reserve market your hydroelectric plant generates the highest value. Of course, we also consider individual specifications of your plant.
Generate additional revenue: After a successful prequalification, your hydroelectric installation is valued on the reserve electricity market and is rewarded with a capacity fee and, in certain cases, an activation fee.
Future-oriented: By participating in the balancing energy market, you contribute to an integration of renewable energies into the power system, strengthen the security of supply and thus actively support the success of the energy transition.

The tertiary reserve capacity balances the fluctuations of the network after a delay of 15 minutes. The TSO measures the frequency and places commands to call capacities. The network operator Elia buys two different mFRR products: R3 standard and R3 flex. The first can be activated for up to 8 hours per day, while the latter can be activated for maximum 2 hours continuously – between two activations there has to be a pause of at least 12 hours. The grid operator pays a capacity fee for both products, but only the R3 standard entitles the grid operator to an energy fee.

My Power Plant
Keep an eye on the commercialization of your hydropower plant
You can view and manage the status of your plant in our online customer area "My Power Plant". Here you can view loading profiles, modify your data and download your invoices. "My Power Plant" is accessible from a desktop computer or via our Apple or Android application.
Feed-in and revenue data: You can see what your hydropower feeds in and how high your revenues turn out.
Fault notification: You can be notified of faults via the app.
Maintenance times: You can conveniently register maintenance and repair times via the portal.
Numbers & Facts
Aggregated Units
15 346
Q4/2022Networked Capacity
12 294
MW Q4 2022Volume of traded energy
15.1
TWh in 2019Employees
300
Locations
9
Foundation
2009
Next PoolAll services under one roof
Next Kraftwerke brings all the experts together under one roof to successfully market your hydropower: our engineers, technicians and traders work closely with our sales and customer service team to ensure the best possible results in the electricity market.