Market access and prequalification: Balancing reserve.
Potential providers for the various types of balancing reserve can participate in a prequalification procedure in which they provide evidence that they meet the requirements necessary to ensure security of supply for the provision of one or more types of balancing reserve.
For all types of balancing reserve (FCR, aFRR, mFRR), prequalification takes place exclusively with the TSO in whose LFC zone the relevant technical units (electricity generation plants and/or consumption units) are connected to the grid, regardless of the voltage level (connecting TSO). With the revision of the prequalification conditions (“PQ conditions”) of October 2018, prequalification is based on the prequalification of reserve units and reserve groups.
As soon as the prequalified marketable capacity exceeds the respective minimum offer size, the connecting TSO concludes a framework agreement with the reserve provider for each type of balancing reserve (see downloads opposite), which in turn is a prerequisite for participation in the tendering procedures for balancing reserve.
Prequalification is possible at any time. Once all the necessary documents, protocols and evidence have been submitted, it generally takes at least two months to carry out a corresponding prequalification procedure. Depending on the complexity, a longer period may also be required.
Technical requirements (PQ conditions)
Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1485 of August 2, 2017 establishing a guideline for transmission system operation (hereinafter “SO GL”) entered into force on September 14, 2017. The SO GL contains, among other things, requirements for the prequalification procedure for control reserve providers, the implementation of which in Germany is the responsibility of the German transmission system operators 50Hertz Transmission GmbH, Amprion GmbH, TenneT TSO GmbH and TransnetBW GmbH (hereinafter “TSOs”).
The TSOs have revised and published the prequalification conditions (“PQ conditions”) for the control reserve types FCR, aFRR and mFRR.
IT requirements (minimum IT requirement)
New technologies in the field of information technology are creating new ways of reliably transmitting data. In order to take account of this development, the transmission system operators (TSOs) have defined standardized requirements for companies that provide or wish to provide control power services in the form of the “Minimum requirements for the information technology of the provider for the provision of control power”.
Due to their system responsibility, the TSOs must generally comply with high requirements for the confidentiality, availability and integrity of their infrastructures and information, which are transferred to all connected infrastructures and service providers. The requirements represent minimum requirements for security and availability and provide further recommendations for achieving the desired objectives.
All relevant documents are published under the adjacent links.
The prequalification documents can be submitted to the relevant TSO by using the PQ portal.
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