Statnett’s system-control notices recorded on 1 October that a new algorithm description for the Nordic automatic and manual frequency-restoration reserve capacity markets had been published on the Nordic Balancing Model website. The notice identifies the document as relevant to aFRR and mFRR capacity markets. It confirms a publication event, but by itself does not say that the new description changed live market rules or that a new algorithm entered operation that day.

The Nordic Balancing Model publication catalogue separately lists an NMMS Clearing Algorithm document, version 2.0, dated 22 September 2026. A market handbook explains the general mechanism: daily auctions allocate cross-zonal capacity and select bids that meet reserve requirements at the lowest stated socio-economic cost. The Nordic systems procure aFRR and mFRR in separate clearings while sharing cross-zonal capacity; the handbook says aFRR is cleared first and mFRR can use capacity remaining afterward.

In these markets, transmission system operators procure reserve capacity ahead of delivery so that resources are available to help restore frequency and balance. Automatic frequency-restoration reserve (aFRR) responds automatically, while manual frequency-restoration reserve (mFRR) is activated through a manual process. Capacity procurement is distinct from the later activation of balancing energy. A capacity-market algorithm must consider reserve requirements, bid prices and cross-border transfer constraints; it cannot assume that transmission capacity is unlimited.

The handbook describes two linked optimization stages. One allocates cross-zonal capacity by considering bids and the cost of using transfer capacity; another selects the bids against reserve needs using that allocation. The shared transfer limits mean one service’s procurement can affect the capacity available to the other. The 1 October notice does not provide a public change log, performance comparison, numerical effect on prices or procurement volumes, or details of a go-live. The article therefore treats the development as documentation publication, not a system change.

For market participants, the immediate verified fact is that the document became available through the Nordic model’s publication channel. A separate catalogue entry records the algorithm document’s 22 September date, and other implementation guides have their own versions and release dates; these should not be conflated. The notice does not identify a new auction cadence, altered bidding rule, or changed capacity priority beyond what the pre-existing handbook describes. Operators and providers should consult the actual versioned documents for applicable technical requirements.