Capacity restriction contract (CBC): a guide for businesses
Direct answer
A capacity restriction contract (CBC) is an agreement in which a connected party, against payment, temporarily refrains from using its full contracted transport capacity to help resolve anticipated congestion on the Dutch electricity grid. The grid operator requests the restriction no later than one day ahead and compensates every activation. The contract comes in two variants: fixed time windows or activation on request.
- Clear definition
- Data-driven assessment
- Risks and opportunities visible
- Practical next steps
Capacity restriction contract (CBC): scattered information versus Energy Intelligence
In many parts of the Netherlands the electricity grid is full: new businesses wait for a connection and existing companies cannot expand. Grid operators are reinforcing the grid, but that takes years. In the meantime they buy flexibility from connected parties through congestion management. The CBC, introduced with the amended Dutch Grid Code in late 2022, made participation accessible to far more companies: no trading expertise is required and there is no daily bidding obligation, unlike redispatch.
- The grid operator requests activation no later than the morning before the congestion day, before the day-ahead market closes at 12.00.
- Participation in congestion management currently requires a large connection, above 3x80 amperes, and at least 100 kilowatts of flexible power.
- Since May 2026, the capacity steering contract (CSC) has largely replaced the CBC; existing CBCs remain valid.
Insight
Traditional approach
Information is scattered across portals, documents, invoices or separate spreadsheets.
Modern approach
Data, context and interpretation are brought together into a clear decision picture.
Decision-making
Traditional approach
Choices are made based on averages, assumptions or occasional analyses.
Modern approach
Scenarios, KPIs and current measurement data make the trade-off more concrete and repeatable.
Follow-up
Traditional approach
Actions often stay non-committal or disappear into separate reports.
Modern approach
Follow-up actions, monitoring and reporting are linked to the same energy data.
How does a capacity restriction work?
The starting point is your existing connection and transport agreement: you keep your full transport rights. In the CBC you agree with the grid operator that, on request, you stay below an agreed power level for a specific period, for consumption or feed-in. That request comes before the day-ahead market closes, so your balance responsible party can still factor the activation into its trading for the next day. Verification afterwards is simple: the grid operator only checks that you did not exceed the agreed level during the agreed hours. No baseline measurement is needed, unlike with redispatch.
- The contract records at least: the maximum transport capacity to be used, the price per megawatt, the connection (EAN code) and the contract period.
- A CBC is tailor-made: you can, for example, agree a maximum number of activations per year.
- There are two variants: fixed time windows or activation on request.
- You can still participate in other electricity markets, as long as you stay below the agreed maximum.
When will you encounter a CBC?
You will mainly encounter a CBC in congestion areas: regions where the grid operator anticipates a structural shortage of transport capacity. After the operator announces such an area, a congestion study follows, in which the operator specifies when it needs flexibility. Companies with controllable power can then make an offer. Think of a factory that temporarily switches to a combined heat and power unit, or a solar park that caps its feed-in on a sunny Sunday. Companies still queueing for a connection can also offer a CBC, which increases the chance that the grid operator finds room for them. A CBC can be concluded in any grid area, including outside congestion areas.
- A congestion area is established through a prior announcement by the grid operator.
- The congestion study states when and how much flexibility the grid operator needs.
- Parties in the connection queue can also offer a CBC.
- In a congestion area, the grid operator may make participation in congestion management mandatory; this can affect connections of 1 megawatt and above.
From CBC to CSC: what has changed?
The CBC focused exclusively on reducing consumption or feed-in. In practice that proved too limited: some forms of congestion are actually relieved by extra consumption, for example by charging a battery at the right moment. Since May 2026, grid operators therefore use the capacity steering contract (CSC) as the standard product for congestion management. The CSC allows electricity use to be temporarily reduced and increased. Existing CBCs, including group contracts, remain valid. Regional grid operators such as Liander also offer group variants, in which neighbouring companies jointly limit their capacity use.
- The CSC largely replaces the CBC as the standard contract.
- The CSC steers in both directions: reducing and increasing electricity use.
- Existing CBCs and group CBCs remain valid.
Curious what this looks like with your own data?
In a no-obligation call, a specialist looks at your meters, sites and energy questions with you. Response within one business day.
Search the knowledge base
Find the answer to your question.
Search using your own words. Abbreviations and spelling variants are recognised, so EMS also finds the articles on energy management systems.
Topic
