After imposing balancing-market restrictions for producer offers, as of February 13, RAE, the Regulatory Authority for Energy, is now planning further measures needed to fully rectify this market’s irregularities, including, most imminently, a formula to remunerate units for redispatching activities.

Redispatching, or unit loading changes made for security or grid sufficiency reasons during the Integrated Scheduling Process (ISP) stage, has often been implemented by power grid operator IPTO at units belonging to the Peloponnese system, as energy restrictions exist concerning the maximum amount of energy injections permitted for these units, due to the existing 150-kV system’s transmission capacity limitations, combined with increased penetration of RES units in the area.

However, a formula has yet to be established to distinguish between energy activated for balancing purposes and energy activated for other purposes.

RAE is seeking a complete and permanent formula to deal with issues concerning system restrictions, especially a mechanism under which units participating in dispatching will be remunerated.

As part of the effort, the authority, on the one hand, has asked power grid operator IPTO to propose a formula distinguishing energy activated for balancing purposes and energy activated for other reasons, and, on the other, offer recommendations for effective integration and application of these provisions in the balancing market code.

RAE is aiming to adopt the new measures as soon as possible. For the time being, a measure suspending the ability of players to submit negative-price offers for energy balancing is in place until a 400-kV line linking Megalopoli, Peloponnese with the main grid is launched.

Balancing market costs remained slightly elevated for a four successive week, IPTO data showed.