The Czech government has proposed changes to its new capacity mechanism, which is open to battery storage, including moving two supplementary auctions from 2026 to 2027, a year later than prospective participants had planned for.
The Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) has published a draft amendment to a general measure it issued in August introducing the country’s capacity mechanism. The draft also proposes a related obligation on Czech transmission system operator ČEPS.
The ministry said the changes are intended to clarify the mechanism’s conditions, strengthen legal certainty for participants, ensure transparent and nondiscriminatory procedures and adapt the rules to practical implementation. Anyone whose rights or interests may be directly affected can submit written comments until Oct. 30.
According to Czech energy news site oEnergetice, the draft changes 20 provisions of the original measure and moves two extraordinary supplementary auctions, held four and five years before delivery, from 2026 to 2027. The outlet reported that the draft also clarifies rules for extending the preliminary assessment, allows capacity eligible for 15-year contracts to compete in several auctions at the same time and changes how the demand curve is constructed.
Auction timeline
In September, ČEPS extended the preliminary assessment deadline for the first three auctions, the main auction and the two supplementary auctions, from Sept. 20 to Nov. 18, at the ministry’s request. The ministry cited conditions in the energy equipment market and supply chains and the aim of widening competition among future capacity providers.
The first delivery period runs from Nov. 1, 2030, to Oct. 31, 2031.
The European Commission approved the original mechanism on July 16 for 10 years, with an estimated budget of €3.1 billion ($3.5 billion) to €6.2 billion, financed through consumer charges. Individual contracts can last up to 15 years. Existing and new generation, electricity storage, cross-border capacity and demand-side response are eligible to participate.
Czechia added 318 MWh of battery storage in the first half of 2026, up from 174 MWh a year earlier, according to Czech solar association Solární Asociace, which expects the country’s battery capacity to reach 6 GWh by the end of the decade. Recent projects include Katemo Group’s 37.95 MW/41.7 MWh battery at a hybrid solar plant in Modlany.
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