Capacity Market Search
Search for power generation components in the UK Capacity Market by location, company name, or CMU ID.
- Location Search: Enter city, postcode, or area (e.g., "London", "SW1A", "South Yorkshire")
- Company Search: Enter company name (e.g., "UK Power Networks", "Drax", "EDF")
- CMU ID Search: Enter the CMU identifier (e.g., "VIT404", "DSR0123")
- Technology Search: Enter technology type (e.g., "Battery", "OCGT", "Coal", "DSR")
- Combined Search: Mix terms to narrow results (e.g., "London Battery Storage")
The search is intelligent and will determine what you're looking for based on your terms. Searches are not case-sensitive, and partial matches are supported.
Understanding Auctions
The Capacity Market runs regular auctions where providers compete to secure agreements. There are two main types:
- T-4 auctions: Held 4 years ahead of the delivery year, offering longer-term visibility
- T-1 auctions: Held 1 year ahead to fine-tune capacity requirements and address any shortfalls
Each auction results in agreements that specify how much capacity providers must deliver and the payment they'll receive per kilowatt.
Auction years are displayed as badges (e.g., 2023-24) that you can click to view details for that specific auction year.
The Capacity Market ensures the UK has sufficient electricity supply during periods of high demand or system stress. Providers receive payments for ensuring their capacity is available when needed.
Understanding Search Results
Search results are grouped by location and show important details about each component:
- Active Components with auction years 2024-25 or later
- In-Active Components with only auction years before 2024-25
- Company Name Click to view all components for this company
- Technology Click to search for this technology type
- CMU: XXX Click to search for this CMU ID
- Auction Year Click to view details for this specific auction
Each result card provides detailed information about:
- Location: The physical location of the component
- Capacity: The maximum power output in megawatts (MW)
- Description: The type and purpose of the component
- De-rated capacity: The capacity adjusted for reliability factors
- Auction participation: Which auctions the component has been successful in
Click on any badge or link to refine your search or dig deeper into specific aspects.
Component Grouping
Components at the same location with the same description are grouped together to reduce duplication.
Each group shows:
- All CMU IDs for components at that location
- All auction years, sorted with newest first
- An Active/Inactive status based on auction years
- Combined total capacity for all components in the group
- Consistent technology type and description shared by all components
Grouping helps identify multi-year contracts and related components at the same site. This makes it easier to understand the scale and persistence of capacity at particular locations.
Sorting and Filtering
You can sort search results by:
- Relevance: Most relevant matches first based on your search query
- Location: Alphabetical order by location name
- Date: By auction year (newest or oldest first)
- Capacity: Highest or lowest capacity first
Click the column headers to change sort order.
You can also filter results using the controls at the top of the results page:
- Technology Filter: Show only specific types of generation/capacity
- Status Filter: Show only active or inactive components
- Auction Year Filter: Focus on specific delivery years
Use the pagination controls at the bottom to navigate through multiple pages of results.
Map View
The Map View shows components geographically with filtering options for:
- Technology type: Focus on specific generation technologies
- Active/Inactive status: Filter by current participation
- Company: Show only components from specific providers
- Capacity Range: Filter by minimum or maximum capacity
The map provides a visual understanding of capacity distribution across different regions of the UK.
Map Features:
- Cluster Colors: Different technology types are shown with distinct colors on the map for easy identification
- Technology Legend: The map legend shows all available technologies with their corresponding colors and component counts
- Search Results on Map: You can view any search results on the map by clicking "View on Map" from search results pages
- Smart Clustering: Areas with multiple components are automatically grouped into clusters - click clusters to zoom in and see individual components
- Interactive Markers: Click on individual markers to see detailed information about components at that location
Use the map controls to zoom in on specific regions or areas of interest. The map automatically adjusts clustering based on your zoom level to provide the clearest view of capacity distribution.
Statistics
The Statistics page provides visual breakdowns of the Capacity Market by:
- Company: Market share of major capacity providers
- Technology: Distribution of different generation types
- Geographic distribution: Regional capacity concentration
- Auction Performance: Capacity secured in different auction years
- Price Trends: Changes in clearing prices over time
Interactive charts allow you to explore different aspects of the market and understand trends over time. This data helps identify emerging patterns in the UK's electricity capacity landscape.