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UCTE and System Development

UCTE and System Development
- Enlargement of the UCTE Synchronous Area

What will the future UCTE look like?

UCTE is an association of TSOs, each of them individually committed:

• to a common set of rules for the operation of the interconnection, its development and reliability standards;
• to support the principles of the common electricity market.

TSOs are facing

• severe problems with authorization procedures for new transmission infrastructures
• decrease of system adequacy   in several areas.

The Synchronous Area may develop beyond the association borders. A precondition for any extension of the synchronous area beyond the borders of UCTE is to keep the reliability of the system at the present high level.

Which kind of rules inside UCTE?
UCTE membership implies compliance in principle with the set of rules, now being transformed into the Operation Handbook  

Which relations with non-UCTE areas or organizations?
There can be AC or DC interconnections with neighbouring TSOs or groups of TSOs that are not and do not intend to become full members. The advantages and disadvantages of an AC or DC interconnection have to be evaluated in each case

• HVDC interconnections
  In the case of existing HVDC interconnections, the relation between UCTE and the adjacent areas is managed by agreements concluded, as in the past, by the concerned member.
  In the case of new HVDC interconnections, the Steering Committee may decide, on motivated grounds of interoperability and/or security, that the concerned interconnection shall be submitted to an approval procedure. In accordance with this procedure, such HVDC interconnection shall in principle be governed by an Interface agreement, signed from UCTE side by one or more Member TSOs, to be designated by the Steering Committee.
• AC interconnections
  As possible formulas for the relation between UCTE and other synchronously connected areas are to be considered:
  • Inter-Area Cooperation agreement
    This type of agreement between the UCTE members and the TSO (or group of TSOs) of a synchronously connected non-UCTE area define the operational and system conditions of the respective areas which are necessary to ensure a well-functioning synchronous interconnection. (comprising a.o. control characteristics and parameters, stability issues, settings of power system stabilizers, …) Such an Inter-Area Cooperation Agreement is the basic option for co-operation between UCTE and the TSOs of the interconnected areas.
  • Interface contract (Interface Cooperation agreement)
    Cooperation agreement between UCTE members and the TSO (or group of TSOs) at the other side of the Interface, defining operation rules and disconnection criteria at the Interface. Such an Interface Cooperation agreement may be used as alternative to the Inter-area Cooperation agreement.

Which concrete approach to external requests?
UCTE adopts a case-by-case approach of the numerous requests to interconnect:

• Bulgaria and Romania permanently interconnected (2003)
  After 10 years of technical and organizational preparations resulting in compliance with all UCTE criteria, the permanent parallel operation of the Bulgarian and Romanian systems were approved and, in May 2003, the Transmission System Operators NEK and Transelectrica became full members of the association.
• Western Ukraine (Bursztyn Island) interconnected (2003)
  The western part of Ukraine, so called "Burshtyn Island" upgraded its system according to UCTE requirements since the UKRENERGO applied for synchronous operation in 199X. The synchronization took place on July 1, 2002, and, after successful one -year trial operation, the permanent synchronous connection was approved by UCTE in September 2003.
• Reconnection of two UCTE synchronous zones (2004)
  In 1991, the UCTE system was split into two separately operating synchronous zones following war events in ex-Yugoslavia. After the normalization of political situation, UCTE makes much effort to encourage involved parties to reconstruct damaged infrastructure that is indispensable for physical interconnection. After commissioning of lines and substations constructed by HEP in Croatia in late 2003, and the completion of facilities in Bosnia - Herzegovina in 2004, the reconnection of two synchronous zones was successfully achieved on 10 October 2004. From this date on, the UCTE frequency beats from Portugal to Romania and from The Netherlands to Greece.
• Assessment of the procedure concerning the interconnection of Maghreb with Libya and Eastern Mediterranean
  Nowadays, the UCTE synchronous area comprises Morocco (linked by the AC cable with Spain), Algeria and Tunisia. The investigations on further interconnection of Tunisia with Libya (already forming a synchronous block with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) are under way. Special attention is given to inter-area oscillations, their damping (by installation and setting of Power System Stabilizers in certain units), and to defense plans, assuring that a disturbance does not propagate throughout the system.
• Studies to interconnect Turkey launched (2005)
  After preparatory steps, the studies that will investigate static and dynamic behavior of the future synchronous interconnection of Turkey was launched in 2005. The study is performed by UCTE as the body in charge of assessing any extension of the interconnected system.
• CIS/Baltics request for synchronous interconnection
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