Europe’s electricity sector and Magnus Energy celebrate key 15-minute MTU milestone
This month marks an important milestone for Europe’s electricity market. The completion of the transition from 60-minute to 15-minute Market Time Units across all of the EU’s bidding zones and bidding zone borders means that Europe will from now onwards enjoy higher market efficiency and better integration of renewable sources. The multi-year international program was supported by Magnus Energy.
The change came in response to the growing need to better integrate renewable sources such as wind and solar into power transmission networks and was requested in EU legislation. With wind and solar generation fluctuating sharply within the hour, the production of such energy can vary significantly from one market time unit (MTU) to the next.
This creates structural imbalances that transmission system operators (TSOs) must manage. The shift from hourly to 15-minute market time units (MTUs) in the Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC) significantly shortens the time interval for which electricity can be priced and traded by NEMOs (Nominated Electricity Market Operators).
This increases the granularity of cross-border electricity trading, enabling the system to more efficiently handle volatile renewable energy generation through improved forecasting and bidding offered by NEMOs to market parties.
On 30 September 2025, the 15 MTU went live in the whole SDAC, completing the multi-year roll-out program in SIDC (Single Intraday Coupling).
Intensive cooperation
The implementation of the 15-minute MTU across all European bidding zones and bidding zone borders was an incredibly complex operation. It involved 32 (TSOs) and 17 NEMOs as well as Regional Coordination Centers (RCCs) and the JAO (Joint Allocation Office) to work together intensively.
They had to adjust the common market coupling methods, processes, IT systems, and information-sharing to this new timeframe. It required all parties involved to change their internal ways of working, too. Last but not least, market parties were involved in the implementation process to ensure a smooth transition for the participants.
Magnus Energy’s role
At the highest level of the project, Magnus Energy provides the Program Management Office for the Market Coupling Steering Committee (MCSC) – the body that represents all NEMOs and TSOs across the SDAC and SIDC projects.
Commenting on the firm’s involvement, Patrícia Brhlíková from Magnus Energy said: “The MCSC is an incredibly complex multiparty program, and the 15-minute MTU has been a key priority. We’re glad to have played our role in supporting all NEMOs and TSOs, the many working groups and the steering committee in moving this milestone forward.”
Magnus Energy has been playing an important role in Europe’s integrated electricity market since 2016 across several reforms and programs.
These programs work towards integrating wholesale electricity markets into a single, pan-European day-ahead market. It aims to increase efficiency by coupling electricity trading across different regions and simultaneously allocating scarce cross-border transmission capacity using a common algorithm.
