TSCNET Services welcomes SEPS as shareholder

11.06.2018

TSCNET Services is the result of an initiative of European transmission system operators (TSOs), and to this day our company is characterised by a particularly close relationship with our customers, most of whom are also our shareholders. Today we can proudly welcome the Slovak TSO, SEPS (Slovenská elektrizačná prenosová sústava, a. s.), as the new, 14th shareholder. To mark this occasion, we have published a press release on SEPS’ participation as a shareholder.

The Slovak transmission grid consists of 2.138 km of 400 kV lines, 826 km of 220 kV lines and from historical reasons also 80 km of 110 kV lines and is connected with four neighboring countries: Czechia, Poland, Hungary and Ukraine – Burshtyn island. With the exception of the Ukraine, all neighboring TSOs are shareholders and customers of TSCNET. SEPS is solely responsible for electricity transmission throughout the country.

“A quick glance at the map is enough to see that with SEPS’ entry we are now completing the electricity security coordination in the central-eastern part of the continental transmission system” says Uwe Zimmermann, one of the two Managing Directors of TSCNET. “This move will further foster the security of supply in this region and underpins our ambition to further improve the already high quality of our security coordination services.” As a shareholder with full voting rights, SEPS can now also actively contribute to steering and developing the service company.

View of the Slovak capital Bratislava as seen from the Danube. In the background the famous castle. Picture: Džoko Stach, Pixabay.

Linkup
> Open TSCNET Services press release (pdf, 119kb)

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ElSeC 2017 slide decks and videos online

13.11.2017

“It was an inspiring and perfectly organised conference with interesting talks on a sunny day in a beautiful city,” wrote one of the participants about ElSeC 2017, hosted by TSCNET Services and co-organised by ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity. A big thanks for all the attendees, speakers, and helpers for making the event unique.

If you didn’t have the chance to be at the first European Conference on Electricity Security Coordination on the 17th of October in Munich or if you attended the event but missed a presentation you wish you hadn’t, well, here you are: Video recordings and presenter slide decks from ElSeC are now available. That also goes for the Panel Discussion. You can download every slide deck in PDF form. Follow the link below for free access to all videos and slides.

> Visit ElSeC 2017 post-conference webpage (html)

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Open evening at TSCNET premises

17.10.2017

Today, TSCNET Services is the proud host of ElSeC 2017, the Conference on Electricity Security Coordination, in Munich, Germany. On the eve of the conference we had invited registrated participants to an open evening at TSCNET’s office facilities east of the Munich city centre. The event was attended by more than 70 people, among them high-ranking representatives of European transmission system operators (TSOs), security initiatives as well as regulatory and political authorities. The welcome speech was held by TSCNET’s parting Managing Director Siem Bruijns, who used the occasion to introduce his successors as managing directors, Maik Neubauer und Uwe Zimmermann.

At the premises, the guests of TSCNET could experience the workflows of a Regional Security Coordinator (RSC) in a direct manner. They were even given the opportunity to visit the Operator Room to gain an overview of the operational services and to witness a complete so-called DOPT, the Daily Operational Planning Teleconference bringing together experts of all the TSOs.

Videos including the brand-new corporate video and presentations on services and tools gave additional insight into the business of TSCNET, as did the staff members, who were always willing to give profound information. Guests could also give proof of their patience and their hand-eye coordination with a huge, handcrafted hot wire in the form of the company’s name. The enjoyable evening used for new professional acquaintances and inspiring conversations, was rounded up by captivating live music, drinks, and a flying buffet.

> Visit Open Evening picture gallery (Flickr, html)
.

Impressions from the TSCNET Services Open Evening on the eve of ElSeC 2017

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Luxembourgian TSO welcomed as new client

16.10.2017

TSCNET Services has signed a service-level agreement (SLA) with Creos Luxembourg (www.creos-net.lu), the national electricity and gas grid operator. Creos manages 585km of power transmission lines within the country. The service package consists mainly of security sssessment services for forecasting electricity flows and potential congestions within Luxembourg and at the main connection line to neighbouring electricity networks.

A recent interconnection project at Creos using the existing 220kV grid infrastructure and a new 400MW phase shifting transformer (PST) to interconnect the Belgian grid (Elia) with the Luxembourgish grid (Creos) and thus interconnecting the German and the Belgian control block makes cross-border coordination even more necessary. TSCNET Services supports Creos in maintaining the operational security of the electricity system.

“Treat a new client like the most important one” – that’s what many business consultants recommend. For TSCNET Services, this is not the point. For us, it is about guiding a new client successfully through the same security-relevant processes as any other client. With Creos, everything went flawlessly! On the 11th of October, the new client participated in the joint security assessment processes for the first time.

The other TSCNET customers will also profit from the agreement: The representation of the Luxembourgian transmission grid in the increasingly harmonised European data models will be more precise and reliable.

> Open TSCNET Services press release (pdf, 217kb)

Image on the right: Creos Luxembourg S. A.

Impressions from the successful Creos go-live training and preparatory meetings

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Member of the European Parliament visits TSCNET

08.09.2017

Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Latvia and former Minister for Economics of Latvia, has visited TSCNET Services. Kariņš is a part of the conservative European People’s Party parliamentary group. The American-born entrepreneur and politician is a member of the EP’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and was accompanied by his advisor Edijs Ostrovskis, also coming from Latvia.

Alexander Küster, Head of TSCNET’s Operations Team, and Emanuel Kofler, Organisational Development Manager at TSCNET, welcomed the guests at the company’s premises in Munich, Germany, where they talked about the growth of the company and its range of services for transmission system operators (TSOs). They outlined how Regional Security Coordinators (RSCs) such as TSCNET have established a higher standard of security of supply in Europe and significantly improved the cooperation between TSOs over the last years. In this context, they also debated on ElSeC 2017, the first European Conference on Electricity Security Coordination hosted by TSCNET and co-organised by ENTSO-E, the European Network of TSOs for Electricity, on the 17th of October. This visit was a great honour and a valuable opportunity to debate on Europe’s power grid at present and future developments.

> See Krišjānis Kariņš MEP page (html)

Picture: TSCNET Services / Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš (second from left) / Edijs Ostrovskis (on the left side)

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Coreso and TSCNET Services sign agreement

12.06.2017

According to a joint press release issued today, the two European Regional Security Coordinators (RSCs) Coreso and TSCNET Services have concluded a Cooperation Framework Agreement aimed at strengthening their cooperation in assisting transmission system operators (TSOs) in their task of maintaining the operational security of the electricity system. Under this arrangement following the “System Operations Guideline” proposed by the European Commission and approved by the Member States, Coreso and TSCNET agree to set up an efficient cooperation structure and to work out initiatives to mainly

share existing tools, methods, and procedures of either Coreso or TSCNET
operate services alternately or cooperatively
jointly optimise services and tools for TSOs and to develop new ones.

The agreement paves the way for the two service companies representing 19 TSOs from 16 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) to further enhance coordination at a regional level.

“TSCNET has already worked closely with Coreso, and I’m delighted to further strengthen our partnership,” said Siem Bruijns, Managing Director at TSCNET Services. “The agreement greatly increases our potential for positive outcomes for security and efficiency of the power system in Europe. It is essential to make the best use of generation facilities, and to establish a framework through which we can more easily collaborate and share information.”

The CEO of Coreso, Jean-François Gahungu, explained: “The role of Regional Security Coordinators is to provide coordination services to Transmission System Operators. Therefore, the establishment of this partnership is an important milestone. Indeed, it will enable an efficient cooperation between our two companies and will contribute to enhance the services we provide to TSOs to help them maintaining the operational security of the electricity system. As our on-going commitment is to always improve our coordination services, I am convinced this partnership will constitute a good way to foster efficiency.”

Europe’s RSC model
The European energy system is characterised by a steadily growing share of renewable energies. The situation necessitates a deep coordination between operators facilitated by RSCs. As an essential feature of the European power system, RSCs enable TSOs to better identify threats to secure system operations and to adjust measures to mitigate these risks. Coreso and TSCNET Services were the first RSCs set up. By the end of 2017, the whole European grid should be covered by a total of six RSCs.

RSCs perform services for the TSOs, such as operational planning security analysis, outage planning coordination, coordinated capacity calculation, short-term and very short-term adequacy forecasts, and a common grid model with hourly updates. The RSCs’ work increases efficiency in system operation, minimises risks of wide area events, such as brownouts or blackouts, and lower costs through maximised availability of transmission capacity to market participants.

> Open Coreso and TSCNET Services press release (pdf, 185 kb)

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New shareholders

27.02.2015

TSCNET Services GmbH welcomes three new shareholders: The Danish transmission system operator (TSO) Energinet.dk, the Hungarian TSO MAVIR, and the Polish TSO PSE have been registered as shareholders, following an increase in share capital. Now all thirteen member TSOs of the TSO Security Cooperation (TSC) hold an equal share of ownership.

> Open TSCNET Services press release (pdf, 212 kb)

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Services company founded

19.11.2014

TSC today announced the founding of TSCNET Services GmbH, a services company for the tailor-made coordination services for TSOs’ control centres. The new company is the future setup for the services performed by the experts at the TSC TSOs – Joint Office in Munich, Germany. The formation of the new firm is a part of a significant reorganisation to raise efficiency and to further improve performance.

The picture above shows representatives of TSC TSOs after the decision to found TSCNET Services was made. It was taken in autumn 2014 in Switzerland.

> Open TSC press release (pdf)

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