The Slovak and the Czech transmission system operators launched on 19 January 2012 a test phase of the “e-GCC Project” for cross-border exchanges of regulation energy. The project team’s work, carried out for almost a year, has thus been completed and e-GCC normal operation is envisaged to commence within two months.
The aim of the two transmission system operators’ cooperation is to avoid the supply of regulation energy in opposite directions. This will lead to reduction of ancillary service activation, especially secondary control power ancillary service (it is expected that tens of percent’s of the amount of secondary control energy to be activated will be saved). The non-activated secondary control ancillary services can be used to settle high-level imbalance between supply and demand in the power systems involved. The main benefit of the e-GCC is therefore the enhancement of transmission system operational security.
Mr Michal Pokorný, Member of SEPS’s Board of Directors, said: “This project is yet another example of ongoing mutually beneficial cooperation in electricity trading and the operation of the Czech and the Slovak power systems which commenced in 2009 with the coupling of day-ahead electricity markets.”
Energy exchanges in the e-GCC are carried out in real time and respond to the current situation in the power systems concerned. The transfer capacity of the Czech-Slovak interconnector remaining after the intra-day allocation closure is used for regulation energy exchanges.
Cross-border capacity available for Czech and Slovak market players is thus not restricted and, at the same time, high-level transmission system operational security is ensured.
Slovenská elektrizačná prenosová sústava, a. s.
Slovenská elektrizačná prenosová sústava, a. s., was established on 21 January 2002 as an independent joint-stock company to fulfill the responsibilities of the Slovak Transmission System Operator. The Company’s mission is to ensure Slovak transmission system’s reliable operation, dispatch control, maintenance, upgrade and development so as to provide high-quality electricity supply for its customers at any time. The Company is responsible for reliable parallel operation with neighboring transmission systems while respecting transparent and non-discriminatory principles for access to the network with minimum impact on the environment. The Company is committed to respecting the requirements resulting from national and EU legislation, decisions of the national Regulatory Office, and relevant rules for transmission system operation and international cooperation with synchronously interconnected power systems within the EU electricity network.
Additional information is available on www.sepsas.sk.
ČEPS, a. s.
ČEPS, a joint stock company, is the sole Czech Transmission System Operator and holds an exclusive license to that effect granted by the Energy Regulatory Office under the Energy Act. The Company is responsible for the maintenance and upgrading of 39 substations comprising 68 transformers, which allow electricity to be supplied from the transmission system to the distribution network, as well as 400kV lines with a total length of 2979km and 220kV lines with a total length of 1371km. ČEPS is a member of relevant European international organizations. The Company is responsible for maintaining the balance of electricity supply and demand within the Czech power system in real time (system services) and for organizing cross-border power exchanges including transits. ČEPS has traditionally been closely involved in the creation of liberalized electricity markets both in the Czech Republic and Europe.
Additional information is available on www.ceps.cz.