RAE decision on amendments to electricity grid codes
(Article by Andriani Kantilieraki, Associate published in the Energy & Natural Resources Newsletter of the ILO on Feb 28, 2022)
On 27 October 2021, the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) issued decision No. 807/2021(1) on the amendment of:
- the Greek Electricity Transmission System Operation (TSO) Code; and
- the Greek Electricity Distribution Network Operation (DNO) Code.
The decision follows the postponement of the designated day for the launch of the interconnection of the island of Crete. Indeed, by virtue of a previous relevant decision,(2) the RAE assessed the technical readiness of the aforementioned competent operators for the implementation of the hybrid market model for Crete and decided to move the designated day for the launch of the interconnection of the island (phase A) by one month. Consequently, the designated day was set for 1 November 2021 (instead of 1 October 2021).
The main amendment of the TSO Code lies primarily with the addition of an additional annex (Annex C), which includes transitional provisions for the small-scale grid interconnection of the island of Crete from the designated day for the first phase until the designated day for the second phase of Crete’s connection with the Hellenic Electricity Transmission System.(3) The new annex deviates from sections 3.0 and 4 of the TSO Code with regard to:
- the units maintenance schedule, which is to be drafted on an annual basis by the Transmission System Operator;
- the specific requirements, due dates and general process for the issuance of the schedule;
- the binding nature of the schedule for all producers, the means of its implementation and the process for amending it considering the factors of operational security and supply adequacy;
- the procedure for the declaration of a unit as totally or partially unavailable to produce electric power;
- the determination of emergency circumstances and ways of resolving them;
- the drafting of a defence plan for the resolution of emergency circumstances;
- the determination of power reserve capacity; and
- the basic technical requirements of the units.
Regarding the DNO Code, a new paragraph was added to it (paragraph 10 to article 138). By virtue of the new paragraph, without prejudice to the provisions of Annex C of the Operation Code of Non-Interconnected Islands, the provisions of the DNO Code referring to the interconnected grid will also apply to the small-scale grid interconnection of Crete as of the designated day of the first phase.
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