Ten-point plan for a secure supply of electricity

Berlin - The distribution system operators directly connected to the 50Hertz high-voltage transmission grid and the transmission system operator responsible for the north-east of Germany, 50Hertz, agreed on a ten-point plan for a more coordinated approach to ensure the stability of supply. The companies seek to establish more intensive cooperation to develop joint solutions for the changing requirements that the networks need to meet. The main focus of this collaboration, exemplary for all of Germany, are the ancillary services (AS) that are provided to ensure the system stability for the electricity supply by the system operators.

The system operators are taking this initiative against the backdrop of the energy transition, which has led to a fundamental change in the energy supply system. In the past, a limited number of large power plants were responsible for the centralised delivery of electricity to the transmission system. Because of the development of renewable energy sources, the number of decentralised energy facilities has increased significantly. 97 per cent of these feed-in, consuming or storage facilities are connected to the distribution systems. These decentralised facilities should be integrated in the operation of the grids and systems and should take over some of the tasks of the centralised large power plants. These mainly include contributions to the four AS "frequency maintenance", "voltage maintenance", "system control" and "system restoration".

Given the large number of RES facilities with mostly weather-dependent generation, there are many challenges that need to be met. Existing processes need to be changed and new technical solutions need to be developed. For instance, the distribution system operators have to be more closely involved in the test procedure for installations that provide balancing power. They have to assess whether the installations can actually supply this power without creating risks for the security of the distribution system. In all, the distribution system operators are given an important role for the security of electricity supply. At the same time, intensive coordination between distribution and transmission system operators also grows in importance.

The evolving requirements faced by system operators are especially noticeable in the northern and eastern parts of Germany. Within the 50Hertz control area, renewables already provided over 37 per cent of power consumption in 2013, whereas the national average was only 25. In some rural areas, much more power is generated from renewable energy sources than could possibly be consumed locally. The region therefore has one of the highest global shares in fluctuating generation and can be considered a test case for the energy transition. Distribution system operators Avacon AG, E.DIS AG, ENSO NETZ GmbH, HSN Magdeburg GmbH, Mitteldeutsche Netzgesellschaft Strom GmbH, Stromnetz Berlin GmbH, Stromnetz Hamburg GmbH, Städtische Werke Magdeburg GmbH, TEN Thüringer Energienetze GmbH and WEMAG Netz GmbH as well as transmission system operator 50Hertz consider this to be an opportunity and want to tackle the challenges together through this collaborative approach.
Part of the ten-point plan also consists in determining the need for ancillary services across the different networks. By realising certain pilot projects, specific solutions should be developed for current and future challenges. The further development of the mutual exchange of data and information is also planned. Altogether, the objective is to bring about closer cooperation between system operators and between those operators and grid users. Furthermore, joint training sessions are also planned for the employees involved.