TSOs and ENTSO-E work in an increasingly interlinked and digital environment.
The implementation of the network codes, for example, is resulting in closer collaboration between TSOs and other actors of the energy sector.
To stay fast and efficient, business models and related IT infrastructures must be adapted across regional dimensions and physical- and market-related issues. Therefore, ENTSO-E is in the process of developing an IT strategy spanning the period from 2017 to 2020. The new strategy will cover legally mandated products: the common grid model, and the ENTSO-E Transparency Platform described below. It will also extend to IT, data architecture, or data exchange standard settings for the entire industry to which ENTSO-E contributes and aims at addressing the increasingly interlinked IT needs of TSOs and other players, such as regional security coordinators, the Joint Allocation Office, capacity calculation regions or power exchanges.
Common Grid Model
Grid operators use computer models of their network to simulate its behaviour to make decisions. Up to now, each TSO has been using its own grid model. As networks become more interconnected and as European electricity markets are getting increasingly integrated, there is a need to develop a common grid model that will ease the cooperation between TSOs and will result in an even more secure and cost-efficient European grid.
The common grid model is a prerequisite for any joint regional security evaluation and capacity calculation among several TSOs and is specified in the CACM Regulation and in the System Operations Guideline. Methodologies for the common grid model and the generation and load data provision are developed by all TSOs and submitted for approval to the competent regulatory authorities.
Common Grid Model Methodologies
The common grid model methodology was submitted to ACER in June 2016, following a public stakeholder consultation and approval by all TSOs. The NRAs requested in January 2017 that three modifications be made to the methodology as a condition of its approval. The TSOs are expected to agree on an amended version of the methodology before resubmission to ACER in 2017.
The generator and load data provision methodology was also submitted to ACER in June 2016, and approved by all NRAs. Following the entry into force of the FCA Regulation in October 2016, both methodologies will be amended in 2017, with respect notably to capacity calculation for long-term timeframes. The revised draft versions were published for public consultation in March 2017.
Operational Planning Data Environment (OPDE)
An information platform will support the common grid model: the Operational Planning Data Environment (OPDE). One software component of the OPDE, the Electricity Communication Platform, which implements the private and secure communication layer of the OPDE, was fully developed and delivered in 2016. The development of two other software components, including the Operational Planning Data Management, is ongoing.
All TSO Networks for Non-real-time Operational and Market-Related Data Communication Network (ATOM)
The common grid model will run on a brand-new communication network called ATOM. This data exchange tool will support the performance of long- and short-term capacity calculation, operational security analysis, outage planning, and grid planning and adequacy forecast. In 2016, ENTSO-E prepared the setup of the core of the ATOM communication network. Four TSOs – RTE, Amprion, APG, and Swissgrid – have been appointed to realise the fully meshed core of ATOM.
ENTSO-E’s Transparency Platform
ENTSO-E’s Transparency Platform centralises data on energy generation, transmission, and consumption, collected from data providers including TSOs, power exchanges, and other third parties. By making information available freely to all, it allows for a level playing field where market participants can make better analyses and decisions. It is also instrumental for the monitoring and regulation of power markets. The quality of the data and the access to the data must be constantly improved, and ENTSO-E has launched extensive work in that direction in 2016. Developing additional download possibilities on the platform was identified as the top priority request by users, who are involved in the constant improvement of the platform via ENTSO-E’s Transparency User Group. Several options have been discussed, and the two solutions chosen serve different purposes and were confirmed by users as very useful. To increase data quality, the review of the Manual of Procedure was also carried out in close cooperation with ACER and with users via the Transparency User Group. The opinion of ACER on this reviewed set of documents was received in early 2017; the implementation work has now started both on the Transparency Platform and on the data providers’ side.
The Transparency Platform in numbers:
approx. registered users
active users per day
million files received each year
data providers
Standardisation activities
ENTSO-E engages in various standardisation activities in support of reliable and stable system operation and processes for the smart grid environment. Standards facilitate cross-border exchanges and allow efficient and reliable identification of different objects and parties relating to the internal energy market and its operations and support network code implementation in various ways.
Electronic data interchange library
ENTSO-E’s Electronic Data Interchange library regroups all documents and definitions for the harmonisation and implementation of standardised electronic data interchanges. This includes the transformation of business requirements into implementation guides and Unified Modelling Language (UML) model documents. These documents allow the definition of processes and electronic documents for interchange between actors in the electrical industry in Europe.
Energy Identification Coding
ENTSO-E supports the Energy Identification Coding (EIC) scheme, which provides a unique identification of market participants and other entities active with the European electricity and gas markets. The EIC scheme is widely used in relation to electronic document interchange. The EIC codes are necessary for ENTSO-E and all actors of the energy market to fulfil their obligations relating to the Transparency Regulation and the REMIT Regulation. In 2016, ENTSO-E continued to support the maintenance and development of ENTSO-E profiles under the Common Information Model (IEC 62325, IEC 61970, and IEC 61968) and IEC 61850 standards. The European Style Market Profile, relating to Market Data Communications under IEC 62325, saw several approved corrigenda and enhancements to the series of standards.
Part of supporting the implementation of the CACM Regulation and of the System Operations Guideline, the common grid model exchange specification, based on IEC 61970, was submitted as a technical specification to the IEC for approval. In addition, the development of an interoperability specification tool has progressed, with the aim of creating an ENTSO-E profile under the IEC 61850 standard, supporting multi-vendor interoperability over systems’ life cycles. Moreover, ENTSO-E successfully submitted a document for comment to national committees to significantly enhance the IEC 61850 engineering process.
A workshop, jointly organised with the European Committee for electro technical standardisation, CENELEC, addressed cooperation on the HVDC code between the two entities. ENTSO-E also participated in the European level Smart Energy Grid Coordination Group. To cap off the year, ENTSO-E hosted a workshop on standardisation, highlighting the importance of standardisation activities in many different areas of the TSO business to promote interoperability and cost savings at both European and international levels.
Power Statistics
ENTSO-E collects and publishes statistics on the production, consumption, and exchanges of electricity, aggregated by country. The datasets of historical data cover hourly, monthly, and yearly data, and go back (for part of the data) to 1991. In 2016, ENTSO-E launched a new user interface, ‘Power statistics‘, covering the data from 2016 onwards. Older data will remain available in an archive.
Online Map of the Transmission Grid
In April 2016, ENTSO-E launched an interactive online version of its European transmission grid map. All map data has been provided by TSOs through the national data correspondents. It shows all transmission lines designed for 220 kV voltage and higher and generation stations with net generation capacity of more than 100 MW. Since launch, the map has received over 850,000 views.
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