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UCTE implements a new forecast tool to prevent major grid disturbances

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A new tool has been adopted by all 35 UCTE members in 21 European countries to predict and reduce congestions on the electricity transmission system. This transparent and non-discriminatory early warning system helps to ensure security of supply and a better use of system capacities.

 
The liberalisation of the European Electricity Market brought major changes and new challenges to the TSOs environment. The UCTE grid was originally designed to centrally optimise operation in both a technical and an economical way. In the liberalised market, where integrated companies no longer exist and each generator and supplier wishes the minimum possible restrictions, this causes higher and more unpredictable power flows and a dramatic increase of congestions on the European grid, when transmission line capacities cannot cope with the energy flows.
The UCTE Day Ahead Congestion Forecast means a new tool against grid congestions in Europe. While the tool is already in operation as from 7 October 2002, all UCTE members have expressed their full commitment to swiftly join this process. Resolving congestion makes necessary to carry out daily load flow forecasts for which the exchange of data between neighbouring TSOs are indispensable. Doing so, it becomes possible to take into account the influence of each neighbouring network onto the next one. While delivering forecast figures, TSOs have a transparent early warning system for congestion with a minimum level of error. This allows reacting in time, in order to ensure security of supply and a better usage of the system capacities – for the benefit of all grid users and a well functioning market.
Appendix: DACF map 7/10/02

Media Contacts

Marcel BIAL, UCTE Secretary General
Boulevard Saint-Michel, 15 , B-1040 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 741 69 41 Fax: +32 2 741 69 49

Profile of UCTE

The “Union for the Co-ordination of Electricity Transmission” (UCTE) is the association of transmission system operators in continental Europe that provides a reliable market base to all market participants. It stands for an efficient and secure operation of the interconnected electrical “power highways” and gives signals to the market when system adequacy declines. UCTE issued over more than fifty years all technical rules and recommendations in order to co-ordinate the international operation of high voltage grids that all work now with one “heart beat”: the 50 Hz UCTE frequency. UCTE is committed to facilitate the development of the system to meet all new market requirements, but without losses in terms of reliability for the existing system. The UCTE network brings a safe electricity supply for some 400 million people in one of the biggest electrical synchronous interconnections worldwide. This technical
background promotes the development of competitive markets.

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