Next Kraftwerke GmbH is a Germany-based energy technology company that operates one of Europe’s largest virtual power plants. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Cologne, it aggregates and controls thousands of decentralized assets—renewable generators, industrial consumers, and storage systems—to participate in wholesale power and balancing markets across multiple European countries.
For energy-intensive industries, including the chemical sector, Next Kraftwerke enables demand response and flexibility services by linking flexible loads (such as electrolysis units) to price and grid signals. Its platform provides forecasting, automated dispatch, and market access for day-ahead, intraday, and ancillary services, helping clients optimize electricity costs while supporting system stability and the integration of variable renewables. The company’s activities contribute to balancing the power system and advancing the energy transition through coordinated, data-driven operation of distributed energy resources.