In the event of a grid blackout, Belgium must be able to count on a rapid restoration of the electricity supply. Depending on the situation, Elia replenishes the system with energy supplied by neighboring TSOs (top-down reconstruction) or, if this is not possible, by relying on the services provided by market players within the Belgian area (bottom-up reconstruction).
During a bottom-up rebuild, Elia specifically uses generation units with "Black Start" capacities to re-supply the system. These power generation units are able to start up without external power supply and to feed back into the grid.
Black Start service is contracted with Restoration Service Providers (RSPs). The terms and conditions for participation in the Black Start service are described in the "Restoration Service Contract" (or RSP contract) available on the Elia website.