Substantial EU funding for Harmony Link

02.10.2020

The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is an important financial instrument of the EU to support targeted infrastructure investments at European level. On 1 October 2020, the coordination committee of the CEF decided to allocate €719.7m for investment in electricity transmission infrastructure in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The granting follows an application for funding submitted at the end of May this year by the national transmission system operators (TSOs) of the three Baltic States and by PSE, the Polish TSCNET shareholder.

Harmony Link, which is to be the second interconnector between Poland and Lithuania, particularly benefits: €493m will be directly allocated to the project. Further funding is intended for the upgrading of infrastructure required for the integration of Harmony Link and for the installation of synchronous compensators in the Baltic States.

The first Polish-Lithuanian interconnector is LitPol link, an overhead line connecting the PSE substation in Elk and the Lithuanian Alytus substation, which has been in operation since 2016. Harmony Link is implemented in a different technical way, as a high voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cable bypassing the Curonian Lagoon and the Gdańsk Bay. The new Polish-Lithuanian interconnector is crucial to enable the synchronisation of the Baltic electricity area with the Continental European (CE) area – an important objective in the framework of the European Energy Union to create a common European electricity market. It will also support regional and supra-regional supply security.

The EU is funding the Polish and Baltic electricity infrastructure with €719.7m through the CEF Energy programme (picture of Gdańsk Bay seen from Gdynia: NAC on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Linkup
> See PSE press release (html)

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Delay for Interim Coupling

11.09.2020

To introduce single day-ahead coupling in a total of 23 European countries, the so-called 4M Market Coupling Countries (4M MC) – Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia – are to be connected to the Europe-wide Multi Regional Coupling (MRC) of the electricity market. The initiative to implement the MRC extension is the DE-AT-PL-4M project, also referred to as “Interim Coupling Project”. It aims to establish implicit capacity allocation based on Net Transfer Capacity (NTC) at six borders: PL-DE, PL-CZ, PL-SK, CZ-DE, CZ-AT, and HU-AT. The TSCNET shareholders 50Hertz, APG, ČEPS, MAVIR, PSE, SEPS, TenneT, and Transelectrica – transmission system operators (TSOs) from Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia – participate in Interim Coupling.

After the project had completed the design phase and entered the implementation phase at the end of 2019, Interim Coupling was actually supposed to start in September 2020. The TSOs and Nominated Electricity Market Operators (NEMOs) involved have now announced that the kick-off must be postponed. This is due to several project parties experiencing local implementation bottlenecks in the first quarter of 2020 because of interrelations between ongoing parallel projects. This led to a delay of several months in the implementation activities for Interim Coupling. National regulatory authorities have asked the European Commission to provide guidance on how to proceed with this project. Market players will be informed as soon as possible about the next steps.

The start of the AT-PL-4M MC project has been postponed

Linkup
> See MAVIR press release, html
> See PSE press release, html
> See SEPS press release, html
> Open AT-PL-4M MC information paper provided by Transelectrica (pdf, 262.12kB)

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New Local Implementation Project under SIDC

09.07.2020

European transmission system operators (TSOs) are committed to the European Energy Union by collectively working towards an integrated European electricity market. A key component for market integration is cross-border Single Intraday Coupling (SIDC), which was introduced as XBID in June 2018. SIDC is designed to increase the overall efficiency of intraday trading through effective competition, increased liquidity, and more efficient use of generation resources. Currently, the markets of 22 countries are coupled through SIDC: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. With the inclusion of the Slovakian Nominated Electricity Market Operator (NEMO) OKTE and TSCNET shareholder SEPS, the TSO from Bratislava, the project also extends to Slovakia.

Within the framework structure of the SIDC, Local Implementation Projects (LIPs) provide for the expansion of the market coupling, and a new project has now been established as LIP 17. The NEMOs and TSOs from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia – the TSCNET shareholders ČEPS, MAVIR, PSE, and SEPS – have proposed to implement SIDC across the borders between Slovakia-Czechia, Slovakia-Hungary, and Slovakia-Poland. The SIDC Steering Committee approved on 7 July and the LIP 17 roadmap will now be elaborated in more detail.

The SIDC solution comprises a common IT system with a shared order book, a capacity management module, and a shipping module. In addition to the TSOs mentioned above, the TSCNET shareholders 50Hertz, Amprion, APG, ELES, HOPS, TenneT, Transelectrica, and TransnetBW as well as the TSCNET customers Creos from Luxembourg and Energinet from Denmark are also part of SIDC.

A new LIP for the introduction of intraday trading across the borders of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia has been established under SIDC

Linkup
> See MAVIR press release (html)
> See PSE press release (html)
> See SEPS press release (html)

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SIDC: Massive growth in trading volume

02.04.2020

European cross-border Single Intraday Coupling (SIDC) was introduced in June 2018 (then called XBID) to increase the overall efficiency of intraday trading through effective competition, increased liquidity, and more efficient use of generation resources. The overarching objective is the integration of the European energy market. In November 2019, SIDC was extended in a second go-live, so that currently the markets of 22 countries are coupled through SIDC: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden (first go-live), and Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia (second go-live).

The Nominated Electricity Market Operators (NEMOs) from the seven countries of the second go-live report significant growth in trading volume in the coupled intraday market. The Hungarian NEMO HUPX, for example, recorded an average monthly trading volume of around 75,600MWh from December 2019 to February 2020 compared to 7,600MWh in the same period of the preceding year; in the Czech Republic, the volume has increased eightfold. The other NEMOs are also registering significant growth rates. A total of 36 million trades have been executed since SIDC first went live, and the system continues to operate reliably after the second wave.

The SIDC solution is based on a common IT system with a shared order book, a capacity management module and a shipping module. The TSOs cooperating in SIDC include the TSCNET shareholders 50Hertz, Amprion, APG, ČEPS, ELES, HOPS, MAVIR, PSE, TenneT, Transelectrica and TransnetBW, as well as the TSCNET customer Creos from Luxembourg and Energinet from Denmark. With the accession of the NEMO OKTE and further TSCNET shareholder SEPS, the TSO from Bratislava, the project has meanwhile been extended to Slovakia. A third go-live to expand continuous cross-border intraday trading to Greece and Italy is expected in the first quarter of 2021.

The seven new members of SIDC for a single integrated European intraday market are reporting enormous growth in trading volume

Linkup
> See Amprion press release (html)
> See PSE press release (html)

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Paper on MRC extension

26.03.2020

The so-called 4M Market Coupling Countries (4M MC) – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia – are to be connected to the Europe-wide Multi Regional Coupling (MRC) of the electricity market. This will introduce Single Day-Ahead Coupling across 23 European countries. The initiative to implement the MRC expansion is the DE-AT-PL-4M MC Project, also known as “Interim Coupling Project”. The relevant transmission system operators (TSOs) from Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia – the TSCNET shareholders 50Hertz, APG, ČEPS, MAVIR, PSE, SEPS, TenneT, and Transelectrica – are part of the project consortium.

The AT-PL-4M MC Project establishes implicit capacity allocation based on Net Transfer Capacity (NTC) at six borders (PL-DE, PL-CZ, PL-SK, CZ-DE, CZ-AT, HU-AT). The Nominated Electricity Market Operators (NEMOs) and TSOs participating in the DE-AT-PL-4M MC Project now have published an information paper for market participants containing key information on the project in a question and answer format. This information includes the main expected changes for the market, the planned communication methods with market participants and a high-level technical description of the market design to be implemented by the project.

The partners of the AT-PL-4M MC Project for integrating Czechia, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia into MRC have published an information paper

Linkup
> Open AT-PL-4M MC information paper provided by MAVIR (pdf, 732.98kB)

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Study on German-Polish TSO cooperation

16.01.2020

The two transmission system operators (TSOs) and TSCNET shareholders 50Hertz from Germany and PSE from Poland jointly conducted the “German-Polish Study on cooperation between TSOs PSE and 50Hertz in long-term and mid-term perspectives”, which now has been finalised. The study was supported by the respective national Ministries responsible for energy.

As its title suggests, the study is divided into an investigation of medium-term and long-term cooperation objectives. The mid-term part aims at improving the coordination of the operational planning processes. The following issues, among others, have been identified as important: improving the quality of forecasting of power flows at the German-Polish border and the coordinated use of cross-border remedial measures such as phase-shifting transformers as well as bilateral and multilateral redispatch. To better predict cross-border flows, PSE and 50 Hertz agreed to support the development of a flow-based methodology, and as far as the remedial measures are concerned, advanced software solutions are required. However, not only the development of an IT tool is needed here, but also advanced coordination and cost sharing in a region-wide mechanism.

For the long-term study, a modelling process carried out by the National Centre for Nuclear Research in Warsaw was used, which was consulted and monitored by experts from both TSOs. Using alternative scenarios, different time frames and market simulations, the main trends in German-Polish electricity exchange as well as future challenges for regional markets and networks were identified, such as interconnector capacities, growth of energy demands or deviating energy prices.

50Hertz and PSE have conducted a joint study on German-Polish TSO cooperation (picture: Andreas Vogel / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Linkup
> See PSE press release (html)
> See 50Hertz webpage on the study, in German (html)
> Open Executive summary (pdf, 538.47kB)

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TERRE platform launched

07.01.2020

The project “Trans European Replacement Reserves Exchange” (TERRE) is dedicated to implementing the exchange of replacement reserves (RRs) under the EU guideline on electricity balancing. The objective of TERRE is to establish the European RR balancing energy market via an RR platform and to create uniform conditions for market participants. TERRE has been confirmed by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) as the European platform for the exchange of balancing energy from RRs and is closely monitored by national regulatory authorities and the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).

TERRE involves eight European transmission system operators (TSOs). The three TSCNET shareholders ČEPS from the Czech Republic, PSE from Poland and Swissgrid from Switzerland are complemented by RTE (France), National Grid (United Kingdom), Terna (Italy), REN (Portugal) and Red Eléctrica de Espaňa (Spain). A further six TSOs with observer status include the TSCNET shareholders MAVIR from Hungary and Transelectrica from Romania.

The TERRE platform was launched on 6 January 2020. The platform ensures cost-effective balancing energy with service availability within 30 minutes in a European setting. ČEPS was the first TSO to connect to the platform, and is currently also the only one. Further members will follow. “The launch of TERRE represents the completion of several years of effort, from defining business rules to developing an IT solution to testing the system with market participants in Europe,” explains Zbyněk Boldiš, Member of ČEPS’ Board of Directors.

The TERRE platform for the balancing of replacement energy reserves has been successfully launched (picture showing Zbyněk Boldiš, Member of ČEPS’ Board of Directors)

Linkup
> See ČEPS press release (html)
> Visit ENTSO-E’s TERRE website (html)

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Multi Regional Coupling expanded by the end of 2020

17.12.2019

The Multi Regional Coupling (MRC) of the European electricity market is to be substantially enhanced by connecting the so-called 4M Market Coupling Countries (4M MC), i.e. the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, to the Europe-wide MRC. This will establish Single Day-Ahead Coupling across 23 European countries.

In preparation for this market integration, the so-called Interim Coupling Project (DE-AT-PL-4M MC Project) was launched. It has now completed the design phase and is entering the implementation phase. This provides the Nominated Electricity Market Operators (NEMOs) and transmission system operators (TSOs) from Austria (APG), Germany (50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT, and TransnetBW), Poland (PSE) and the 4M MC countries (ČEPS, MAVIR, Transelectrica and SEPS) with a sound basis for announcing the MRC inclusion for the third quarter of 2020.

The AT-PL-4M MC Project introduces implicit capacity allocation based on Net Transfer Capacity (NTC) at six borders (PL-DE, PL-CZ, PL-SK, CZ-DE, CZ-AT, HU-AT). The competent National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) welcome the progress made and the synergies from the project, which will facilitate the introduction of Flow-Based Market Coupling in the Core Capacity Calculation Region (Core CCR), which is the ultimate target.

The AT-PL-4M MC project for integrating Czechia, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia into MRC has entered the implementation phase.

Linkup
> See PSE press release (html)
> See SEPS press release (html)
> Open joint press release (pdf, 216.14kB)

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Single Intraday Coupling expanded

08.11.2019

Europe-wide intraday coupling is a key component for the completion of the European internal energy market. To help achieve this goal, the European cross-border Single Intraday Coupling (SIDC) solution was launched in June 2018 (then called XBID), standing for a significant step towards a single integrated continent-wide intraday market. A market of this kind increases the overall efficiency of intraday trading through effective competition, increased liquidity and more efficient use of generation resources across Europe. The SIDC solution is based on a common IT system with a common order book, a capacity management module and a shipping module.

The participating countries were initially Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. SDIC will now be expanded and continuous electricity trading will be possible across seven further countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. Nominated electricity market operators (NEMOs) and the participating transmission system operators (TSOs) have confirmed the go-live of the extended SIDC and two additional local implementation projects on 19 November with first deliveries on 20 November.

TSOs already collaborating in SIDC include the TSCNET shareholders 50Hertz, Amprion, APG, TenneT, TransnetBW and Energinet as well as the TSCNET client Creos from Luxembourg. With the second wave, six more shareholders follow, namely ČEPS, ELES, HOPS, MAVIR, PSE and Transelectrica.

The SIDC solution for a single integrated European intraday market is expanded by seven countries, including Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia

Linkup
> See Energinet press release (html)
> See PSE press release (html)
> See APG press release, in German (html)

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New ENTSO-E leadership team elected

28.06.2019

The Assembly of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) has elected a new leadership team for the next two years, taking office today. The new President is Hervé Laffaye, Deputy CEO of RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité), the French transmission system operator (TSO). Vice President is Zbyněk Boldiš, member of the Board of Directors of our shareholder and customer ČEPS, the Czech TSO. The Board is chaired by Joachim Vanzetta, Director of System Control at Amprion, one of the four German TSOs. Of our shareholders and customers, also Tahir Kapetanovic (APG), SØren Dupont Kristensen (Energinet), Konrad Purchała and Robert Paprocki (both PSE), Frank-Peter Hansen (TenneT), Michael Jesberger (TransnetBW), and Yves Zumwald (Swissgrid) belong to the ENTSO-E team.

“ENTSO-E’s agenda comprises several strategic targets to support the TSO community in preparing the power system of 2020, 2030 and beyond, in ensuring transparent implementation of existing and new legislation while keeping an excellent level of system security,” explains Joachim Vanzetta. The background is shaped by the implementation of the Clean Energy Package and the design of the future European electricity market design. Particular attention will be paid to the issue of system security in times of energy system transformation and European climate targets.

The ENTSO-E Assembly has elected a new leadership team – on the left the new ENTSO-E President Hervé Laffaye (RTE), on the right Chair of the Board Joachim Vanzetta (Amprion)

Linkup
> Open ENTSO-E press release (html)

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