The majority of the volume handled by Nord Pool is traded on the day-ahead market. For the most part, the balance between supply and demand is secured here. However, incidents may take place between the closing of the day-ahead market at noon CET and delivery the next day. A nuclear power plant may stop operating in Sweden, or strong winds may cause higher power generation than planned at wind turbine plants in Germany. At the intraday market, buyers and sellers can trade volumes close to real time to bring the market back in balance.

Trading close to real time

At 14:00 CET, capacities available for Nord Pool's intraday trading are published. This is a continuous market, and trading takes place every day around the clock until one hour before delivery. Prices are set based on a first-come, first-served principle, where best prices come first – highest buy price and lowest sell price.

Increasingly important

The intraday market is becoming increasingly important as more wind power enters the grid. Wind power is unpredictable by nature, and imbalances between day-ahead contracts and produced volume often need to be offset. The market plays a key role in the development of intraday power trading in Europe. Prospects indicate exponential growth, reaching 1,900 GW installed wind capacity worldwide in 2020 (Source: World Wind Energy Association). This type of market can be a key enabler to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix.