Balancing Services

Frequency restoration balancing services are defined, procured and activated separately for upward and downward activation directions:

Balancing service	Availability	Response time	Max activation duration	Time between the two activations	Max number of activations	Min power	Connecting point
aFRR capacity /balancing energy	100% of offer time	100% of power output within 5 minutes	Continuous	-	-	1MW	TSO & DSO
mFRR capacity /balancing energy	100% of offer time	100% of power output within 15 minutes	Defined in Balancing Service Agreement			1MW	TSO & DSO

Frequency containment balancing service is defined and procured in a single process, symmetrically for upward and downward activation directions:

Balancing service	Availability	Response time	Max activation duration	Time between the two activations	Max number of activations	Min power	Connecting point
FCR capacity	100% of offer time	100% of power output within 30 s	Continuous	-	-	1MW	TSO

Who can provide balancing services?

Balancing services may be provided by individual network users or aggregators, independent aggregators, closed distribution system operators, citizen energy communities and renewable energy communities that:

• have demonstrated their technical capability through the prequalification procedure
• have concluded a Balancing Service Agreement with HOPS (separately for each individual service)
• are defined as Balancing Service Providers (BSPs).

Procurement procedure through public tenders

In accordance with Article 8 of the Rules on the Balancing of the Electricity System (HOPS 12/2023, PoUEES), balancing services are procured in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner through public tender procedures.

HOPS conducts procurement procedures for:

• aFRR balancing capacity and/or balancing energy through public tenders
• mFRR balancing capacity and/or balancing energy through public tenders

If balancing services cannot be procured through public tender procedures (i.e. if only one prequalified – dominant – Balancing Service Provider is available for a particular balancing service), the balancing service is procured by concluding an agreement with the dominant Balancing Service Provider in accordance with:

• Article 11 of the PoUEES and the Rules for Determining the Price Caps for the Procurement of Balancing Capacity (Annex 2 to the PoUEES)
• Amendments to the Rules on the Balancing of the Electricity System (HOPS 4/2026).