​France's battery fleet reached 1.5 GW at the end of 2025. The French PPE3 energy roadmap, presented in early February, provides a more stable outlook for nuclear and renewables. This added stability provides battery developers with a clearer investment and planning horizon.

Here are five dynamics that will shape battery revenues this year.

1. French aFRR capacity revenues are softening as the market shows signs of saturation

Since France opened its aFRR capacity market to batteries in 2024, capacity fees have been the primary revenue source for most of the fleet.

​Average upward aFRR capacity prices fell 55% between January 2025 and January 2026.

​RTE's aFRR requirement has held steady at 750 MW in each direction. With more capacity now competing for the same requirement, prices are falling.

2. Cross-market optimisation is becoming essential

​Batteries are already active on aFRR capacity and energy markets, but these are not the only revenue sources available.

Most balancing energy flows through the manually activated tertiary reserve (mFRR). French TSO RTE procures 1,000 MW of upward capacity, more than any other country in central western Europe.

For batteries, the value lies in the price spikes that follow system stress events. ​On February 10, an unplanned shutdown at the Penly nuclear plant pushed prices up to €1,645/MWh.

​France is expected to join MARI in 2026, pooling mFRR activation across borders as PICASSO did for aFRR energy.

The Intraday market is also gaining depth. France still trades far less than Germany, largely because EDF historically rebalanced most of its portfolio internally.

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As new market participants enter and the generation mix diversifies, intraday liquidity will continue to grow.