After almost two years of planning and conceptual design, the enera project's test phase began in 2019. The challenge facing the model region in the Northern German administrative districts of Aurich, Wittmund, Friesland and Emden, is that the electricity generated there is double the local consumption. Recently, the calculated proportion of renewable energies was even as high as 235 percent. To redress this imbalance, electricity that is not required locally has to be transferred to the higher grid level. Intelligent solutions are called for, so as to prevent this from causing grid bottlenecks.
A market for local flexibility
In the context of enera, a local order book specially created by EPEX SPOT is used, so that available flexibility potential from plants for generating renewable energies can be integrated into the existing electricity system. As the single buyer, the participating grid operators EWE Netz, Avacon and TenneT can indicate their flexibility demand, thus issuing a price signal. Flexibility market players can then offer the flexibility at a self-determined market-based price. What this specifically means in Alpiq's case, is that once such a trading transaction occurs, we actively decrease generation at one of our marketed plants for generating renewable energies. On 06 June 2019, we were able to complete the first successful transaction on this local flexibility market.
With our commitment to incorporate renewable energies into local flexibility markets as a means of removing grid bottlenecks, we make a valuable contribution to the success of the energy turnaround. At the same time, we gather valuable experience, which we directly pass on to our customers through further development of our products and services in the domain of flexibility management and direct marketing.
You will find our latest Flexibility Management products and our RES management services0 here.