Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania to launch first monthly import auctions in Jan 2026 for 804 MW
Transmission system operators (TSOs) of Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania launched on Monday the first monthly auctions for the allocation of interstate crossing capacity, NPC Ukrenergo reported.
The auctions will be held from December 15 to December 17 on the Joint Allocation Office (JAO) platform, with delivery scheduled for January 2026. The final results of the auctions will be announced on December 23. According to the JAO website, the crossing capacity from Hungary is 460 MW, while the crossing capacity from Romania and Slovakia is 172 MW each. No crossing capacity is offered from Ukraine.
"Long-term auctions for the allocation of interstate crossing capacity will definitely benefit the Ukrainian electricity market. In the context of massive Russian attacks on our energy system, we really need confidence in the stable electricity imports every month," said Vitaliy Zaichenko, Ukrenergo's Chairman of the Board, in a company message on Telegram.
"We are grateful to our partners from ENTSO-E and the JAO auction platform, as well as to our colleagues from the energy system operators in neighboring EU countries, for their effective cooperation. We hope it continues and that annual auctions will be introduced in the future," Zaichenko noted.
According to the company, such auctions were made possible through cooperation with the TSOs of neighboring countries and with the support of ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators. Work on long-term allocation rules for the EU's external borders has been ongoing for the past two years.
"After these rules were approved by the national regulators of Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, free capacity at cross-border crossings could be allocated through monthly long-term auctions. For Ukraine, this means the possibility of more effective price forecasting and, in the future, reduced costs for imported electricity," explained Ukrenergo.
As noted in the message, monthly auctions contribute to the closer integration of the Ukrainian and European energy markets, ensuring the stability of Ukraine's unified energy system.
