Guideline on electricity transmission system operation

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) 2017/1485 — guideline on electricity transmission system operation

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS REGULATION?

It defines a set of minimum requirements for EU-wide transmission system operation, cross-border cooperation between transmission system operators (TSOs)*, using the relevant characteristics of the connected distribution system operators (DSOs)* and significant grid users (SGUs)*.
These guidelines are necessary for the purpose of safeguarding operational security, power supply frequency and the efficiency of the interconnected system and resources.

KEY POINTS

As part of the EU’s Third Legislative Package in the field of energy, Regulation (EC) No 714/2009 sets out the rules governing access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity with a view to ensuring the proper functioning of the EU’s internal market in electricity. It creates the European Network of Transmission System Operators for electricity (ENTSOE) which, together with the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, develops the European network codes and guidelines — i.e. the rules for the operation of the electricity and gas sectors, which are then adopted by the European Commission. These rules seek to ensure that Europe’s energy transmission systems meet the goals of security of supply, increased competitiveness and affordable energy.

In introducing a guideline on electricity transmission system operation, Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1485 is a highly technical regulation and has five sections. This summary focuses on some of the content of the first section which lays down general aspects. It then provides an outline of the content of the technical sections.

GENERAL ASPECTS

Subject matter

The regulation lays down detailed guidelines on:

requirements and principles concerning operational security;
rules and responsibilities for the coordination and data exchange between TSOs, between TSOs and DSOs, and between TSOs or DSOs and SGUs, in operational planning and in close to real-time operation;
rules for training and certification of system operator employees;
rules on operational security analysis, including regional operational security coordination and appointment of regional security coordinators (RSCs);
requirements on outage coordination;
requirements for scheduling between the control areas for which the TSOs are responsible; and
rules aiming at the establishment of an EU-wide framework for load-frequency control and reserves.

Scope

The regulation applies to all transmission systems, distribution systems and interconnections in the EU and regional security coordinators except those located in islands of EU countries of which the systems are not operated synchronously (i.e. interconnected) with Continental Europe (‘CE’), Great Britain (‘GB’), Nordic, Ireland and Northern Ireland (‘IE/NI’) or Baltic synchronous area.

Definitions

The regulation contains 159 — mostly technical — definitions.

TECHNICAL SECTIONS

The areas covered by the technical sections of the regulation concern:

1.
Operational security:
- operational security requirements,
- data exchange,
- compliance,
- training.
2.
Operational planning:
- data for operational security analysis in operational planning,
- operational security analysis (including rules concerning the organisation of regional operational security coordination via the appointment of RSCs),
- outage coordination,
- adequacy,
- ancillary services (a service necessary for the operation of a transmission or distribution system),
- scheduling,
- ENTSOE operational planning data environment.
3.
Load-frequency control and reserves:
- operational agreements,
- frequency quality,
- load-frequency control structure,
- operation of load-frequency control,
- frequency containment reserves,
- frequency restoration reserves,
- replacement reserves,
- exchange and sharing of reserves,
- time control process,
- cooperation with DSOs,
- transparency of information.

The final section of the regulation is mainly concerned with application dates.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

The general rules introduced by the regulation apply from 14 September 2017. However, Articles 41 to 53 (on data exchange between TSOs, between TSOs and DSOs with the TSO’s control area, between TSOs, DSOs and distribution-connected power generating modules, and between TSOs and transmission-connected demand facilities) apply from 14 March 2019 and Article 54(4) (compliance tests and simulations carried out by SGUs) from 18 August 2019.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

Electricity network codes and guidelines (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

transmission system operator (TSO): an organisation which is responsible for the transport of energy at national or regional level using fixed infrastructure.

distribution system operator (DSO): an organisation responsible for providing and operating low, medium and high voltage networks for regional distribution of electricity as well as for supply of lower-level distribution systems and directly connected customers.

significant grid user (SGU): the existing and new power generating facility and demand facility deemed by the TSO as significant because of their impact on the transmission system in terms of the security of supply, including provision of ancillary services.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1485 of 2 August 2017 establishing a guideline on electricity transmission system operation (OJ L 220, 25.8.2017, pp. 1-120)