EU electricity trading in the day-ahead markets becomes more dynamic

On 30 September 2025, the EU's day-ahead electricity market moved from hourly to 15-minute trading intervals. The 15-minute market time unit is part of the Single-Day Ahead Coupling (SDAC), the system that connects day-ahead electricity markets across EU countries. Thanks to the change, electricity prices will now be calculated every 15 minutes, reflecting more accurately the expected electricity generation and demand in the electricity system.

This shift makes Europe's electricity system more flexible, reliable and ready for the growing share of renewable energy. This finer granularity is particularly important for variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar as it improves their ability to integrate into the electricity grid and participate in the electricity markets. It also allows system operators to better forecast and balance supply and demand of electricity, enhancing the reliability of the grid and ensuring a stable access to electricity. Market participants also benefit from greater flexibility as they can now place orders in 15-minute intervals, leading to more efficient market outcomes.

For EU consumers and industry, the benefits are expected to be significant. A more responsive electricity system means better use of renewable electricity, fewer imbalances in the grid and ultimately lower costs linked to managing electricity flows. This shift also supports the EU's climate and energy goals by making it easier to integrate clean energy into daily electricity consumption.

Background

The transition from hourly to 15-minute trading in day-ahead and intraday markets is envisaged in the Electricity Regulation (EU/2019/943). The implementation in the day-ahead markets has required significant adaptations to the functioning of the SDAC and has been made possible thanks to the concerted efforts by EU nominated electricity market operators, transmission system operators, industry stakeholders, national regulators and the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators.

The 15-minute trading in the Single Intraday Coupling was also completed with the addition of the Greek bidding zone borders on the same date.

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