MARI platform delivers record social welfare gains in its 2025 balancing operations
MARI (Manually Activated Reserves Initiative) is the European platform for the activation and exchange of balancing energy from manual Frequency Restoration Reserves (mFRR), implemented in line with the EBGL. Artelys designed and implemented its market clearing algorithm, while continuing to provide algorithmic development and 24/7 operational support. The platform has been live since October 2022, and the pool of connected TSOs keeps expanding: the project today counts 29 members TOs plus 5 observers including ENTSO-E.
Figure 1. Geographical coverage of the MARI project as of as October 2026. Source: ENTSO-E website.
About MARI and the coupled platform approach benefits
In its latest Balancing Report, ENTSO-E quantifies the benefits of TSO cooperation on MARI by comparing the social welfare achieved through the coupled platform against a decoupled counterfactual run. The comparison estimates the cooperation benefit to reach €100M for the whole year 2025, an order-of-magnitude increase compared with the figures reported for 2023, reflecting the growing number of TSOs connected to the platform. Results are expected to increase further in 2026 as RTE and other TSOs ramp up their participation.
Artelys is proud to contribute to this milestone via the market clearing engine at the core of MARI’s activation process, run at least every 15 minutes across a growing pan-European footprint. The engine has proven prerformance and robustennes with more than 120,000 delivery periods succesfully cleared so far with no major incindent related to the clearing engine.
Figure 2. MARI social welfare compared to the decoupled run for 2025. Source: ENTSO-E Balancing Report 2026.
If you would like to learn more about our energy market-clearing solutions, please contact us or visit our dedicated webpage!
Artelys: Our solutions for maximising the value of hydropower assets
Hydropower plays a strategic role in the energy transition thanks to its unique ability to provide flexibility, storage, and dispatchability to the electricity system. However, managing hydropower systems is becoming increasingly complex: hydrological uncertainty linked to climate change, market volatility, evolving grid needs, and aging assets all call for a rethink of decision-making methods.
Supporting Lithuania’s Energy Security: National Resource Adequacy & Flexibility Needs Assessment for Litgrid
— Artelys is proud to have delivered a National Resource Adequacy Assessment (NRAA) for Litgrid, following the ENTSO-E ERAA methodology, alongside a Flexibility Needs Assessment (FNA) based on the framework set out by ACER.
Artelys Knitro 16.0: Model Nonlinear Problems Natively, Solve Them Concurrently
Artelys is pleased to announce the release of Knitro 16.0, a major version introducing two flagship features — a native Nonlinear Modeler and a Concurrent Solver — alongside significant performance and robustness improvements for nonlinear, mixed-integer and linear optimization problems.
First Successful Auction for the New French Capacity Mechanism!
— The first auction of the new French Capacity Mechanism was successfully held on Monday, 6 July 2026. Artelys is proud to provide the market clearing algorithm used to select the accepted capacity offers.
