IPTO, Greece’s power grid operator, and operators from neighboring Balkan nations have signed an agreement to establish a Regional Security Cooperation Initiative (RSCI), promising improved coordination to counter sector challenges, according to energypress sources.

Officials representing regional operators held a meeting several days ago in Thessaloniki, where the initiative’s agreement was signed, based on a directive provided by ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity.

Besides Greece’s IPTO, locally acronymed ADMIE, the operators of Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Fyrom), Bulgaria, Turkey, Kosovo, and possibly Romania, will join forces for the RSCI plan.

The new agency, the fourth to be created in Europe, will be headquartered in Thessaloniki.

RSCI plans, developed by operators for preventive purposes, offer advanced coordination services, as well as a wider picture of electricity flow to complement local data. In doing so, national operators can identify potential threats and secure their national grids against any major complications. National operators maintain control of the decision-making process as the RSCI plan role is purely intended to inform and help coordination.

ENTSO-E has decided to implement RSCI plans in various EU geographical zones, noting consumers stand to benefit as the initiative decreases the likelihood of power cuts as well as prevention costs.

A preceding RSCI plan for the Balkans, involving Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina was signed in April.