Electricity operators inaugurate regional cooperation centre[fr][de] 

French and Belgian TSOs RTE and Elia established a company, Coordination of Electricity System Operators (Coreso). to provide grid forecasts and support real-time monitoring of electricity flows on the grids of the Central Western European region. During its first phase, the centre will provide national control centres with integrated forecasts every afternoon for the next day, but from July onwards, it will operate around the clock with constant monitoring. The operators emphasised that it is the first technical centre to be operated by multiple TSOs.

The objective is to enhance the security of European grids, minimising blackouts caused by disruptions in certain sections of national grids. The founding TSOs have idenfied Coreso's regional reach as its added value, allowing information sharing and harmonisation of procedures via close cooperation.

The ultimate aim is to minimise blackouts by detecting grid hotspots, maintaining short-term equilibrium. Coreso can propose measures to optimise grid security, but national operators retain the right to make final decisions.

RTE and Elia are inviting other TSOs in the region to join, but the ultimate aim is to move into a "new phase in the integration of European markets," strengthening cooperation between different electricity regions. To this end, the National Grid, a British TSO, is expected to join Coreso in a matter of weeks, and Germany's Vattenfall has expressed interest in becoming a minor participant.

Coreso will not only facilitate market coupling, but also help achieve the greater penetration of renewable energies foreseen across Europe, Daniel Dobbeni, chairman of Elia's management board, said. Increased volatility of power flows makes more intensive cooperation between transmission operators essential, he added.

"This is an important step regarding cooperation between TSOs and the security of the network in Central Western Europe," Fabrizio Barbaso, deputy director general of the European Commission's transport and energy department (DG TREN), said at the inauguration ceremony. "If Coreso can prevent one blackout, it will have paid off for decades."

The cost of the centre is estimated at €1m, with annual operational costs of around €4m. The founding TSOs nevertheless emphasised that this is a small cost compared to the losses that energy flow disruptions incur. The centre will initially host a staff of five engineers, adding a further nine once full operation commences.

Cooperation between electricity system operators is increasing in Europe as the EU negotiates its Third Energy Liberalisation Package, which aims to fully open the bloc's electricity and gas markets.

While the talks between the institutions are blocked (EurActiv 12/02/09), most notably because of disagreements over ownership unbundling issues, 42 European TSOs have established the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), foreseen under the liberalisation package. Its mission is to promote electricity market integration within the EU and develop the operational security of grids.