Information for the use of market operators
Publication of data about interconnections: information for the use of market operators As your Belgian energy market facilitator, Elia provides a wealth of useful information on its website (www.elia.be) for all the parties involved. One example is provided by the quantitative data about mechanisms for allocating available capacity on interconnections. Publishing such details makes a significant contribution to ensuring the transparency of the mechanisms, while providing all the market players with reliable and precise economic information. For consistency, the data are organised and categorised on the basis of the interconnection capacity allocation mechanism. An in-depth explanation of such mechanisms is given in the sheets on cross border allocations and on market coupling.
I. Publication of data about interconnections: principles I.1. The allocation mechanism in brief Since an interconnection only has limited capacity to import and export across the border between two countries, the capacity that can be offered to the market on this interconnection has to be defined in advance on the basis of security and reliability criteria. It is then distributed amongst the interested market operators. Depending on the allocation mechanism, the capacity may be distributed in two stages: • the party acquires a physical transmission right (PTR): this is the allocation stage; • the party can then use the transmission right to plan the exchange: this is the nomination stage. A number of allocation categories are provided covering different time scales: • long- and medium-term allocations (yearly and monthly allocations - see the sheets "Yearly and monthly allocations: secure, easy and transparent exchanges at the French-Belgian border and at the Belgian-Dutch border; • short-term allocations (daily allocations - see the "Market Coupling" sheet); • intraday allocations (see the sheet "Intraday allocations at the French-Belgian and Belgian-Dutch borders"). For each of the allocation categories, the quantitative data can be divided up into the following phases: • definition of the capacity; • allocation; • nomination.
I.2. Information shared by the system operators The allocation phase is coordinated for each interconnection by a joint auction operator designated by the relevant transmission system operators. For every Elia interconnection, the explicit capacity allocation phase (yearly and monthly allocations) is organised by auction operator CASC, and the implicit allocation phase (daily allocations through the market-coupling mechanism) is organised by the Belgian power exchange Belpex. Data about the France–Belgium and Netherlands-Belgium interconnections can be consulted on the CASC website, i.e. information on: • yearly and monthly auctions; • daily auctions when the market-coupling mechanism is unavailable; • market coupling. In the case of the intraday capacity allocation phase on the France-Belgium interconnection: the "Allocations South Intraday" link takes visitors to the site to the joint Elia/RTE Web pages where data about the France-Belgium interconnection are published with regard to intraday allocations. In the case of the intraday capacity allocation phase on the Netherlands-Belgium interconnection: the "Allocations North Intraday" link takes visitors to the site to the joint Elia/TenneT Web pages where data about the Netherlands-Belgium interconnection are published with regard to intraday allocations.
II. Five data categories The quantitative data that can be accessed from the Elia website can be divided up into five categories, depending on the allocation mechanism concerned: • general data; • data about yearly and monthly auctions; • data about daily auctions using the market-coupling mechanism; • data about daily auctions when the market-coupling mechanism is unavailable; • data about intraday allocations.
II.1. General information Elia publishes general information (forecast data and data on actual flows) covering the whole of its control area. The data are available on the site www.elia.be. Forecast data These data cover periods of scheduled and actual unavailability of those components of the Belgian high-voltage grid that have an impact on the capacity available at the interconnections. Actual flows A chart presents the data for physical flows at the two interconnections for both day D and day D-1. The relevant historical data can be downloaded in XLS or CSV format.
A positive value indicates an export from Belgium, a negative value indicates an import into Belgium.
II.2. Data about yearly and monthly auctions The data are divided up into various sub-sections ("Import France", "Export France", "Import Netherlands", "Export Netherlands") allowing the visitor to the site to choose the border and direction (import or export) for the transaction. There are slight differences between the type of information published for the France-Belgium interconnection and the type of information published for the Belgium-Netherlands interconnection. Forecast data for the France-Belgium interconnections Elia publishes the yearly capacity for its interconnections (for both import and export directions): in Q3 for the NetherlandsBelgium interconnection and in Q4 for the France-Belgium interconnection, based on the auction calendar. The capacity is allocated at the yearly auction for the following year. At the start of each month, Elia also publishes a forecast for the following six months of the capacity available at monthly auctions. Around the twentieth day of each month this is updated for the following month. It also includes the yearly capacity volumes that have been resold to the monthly auctions (on the secondary capacity market) at the closure of such resales. Visitors can also consult the historical data.
Final values for capacity available at yearly and monthly auctions A link takes visitors to the website of the joint auction operator CASC, where the final values for this capacity are published. Allocation results A link takes visitors to the website of the joint auction operator CASC, where the final values for these allocations or auction results are published. The following data are published there: capacity allocated, the price at which capacity was allocated, bids curves, total number of participants and number of parties that obtained some capacity. The relevant historical data can be downloaded. Nominations For each interconnection and direction (import and export), Elia publishes hourly data showing the amounts of electricity covered by the yearly, monthly and daily nominations made in the relevant hour. In the same chart Elia also gives the total capacity that was available for the day in question. The relevant historical data can be downloaded in XLS or CSV format.
II.3. Data about daily allocations using the market-coupling mechanism Clicking "Interconnections: market data" brings up a number of sub-sections ("Import France", "Export France", "Import Netherlands", "Export Netherlands") allowing visitors to the site to choose the border and direction (import or export) for the transaction. There are slight differences between the type of information published for the France-Belgium interconnection and the type of information published for the Belgium-Netherlands interconnection. Final values for capacity supplied for allocation via the market-coupling mechanism A link takes visitors to the website of the joint auction operator CASC, where. the daily ATCs (Available Transmission Capacities) are published in the ‘ATC Based Market Coupling’ section. The relevant historical data are also available. In addition, for each interconnection Elia publishes on an hourly basis the yearly and monthly capacities that have been resold to daily allocation on the basis of the ‘use it or sell it’ principle. The relevant historical data can be downloaded in XLS or CSV format. Allocation results A distinctive characteristic of the market-coupling mechanism is that capacity is allocated in a single stage – this means that the values for capacity allocated are identical to those for nominations. A link takes visitors to the website of the joint auction operator CASC, where the relevant allocation results are published in the "ATC Based Market Coupling" section. The "ATC Based Market Coupling" section gives hourly data for exchanges resulting from the market-coupling mechanism, the price spread and the total congestion income, for both imports and exports. These values are identical to those for capacity obtained. The historical data can be downloaded. Nominations The nominations for daily capacity are also included, as such, in the general chart showing nominations that was mentioned above (see section on data about yearly and monthly auctions).
II.4. Data about daily auctions when the market-coupling mechanism is unavailable Final values for capacity available at the daily auctions If the market-coupling mechanism is unavailable, daily capacity is allocated via explicit auctions known as "shadow auctions". In these circumstances - just as in the case of yearly and monthly auctions - the final values for capacity are published on the CASC website. The data can be found in the "Daily Auctions results" section. Allocation results The results of the allocations are published in the "Daily Auctions results" section of the CASC website. Nominations Nominations for daily capacity are given in the general chart showing nominations that was mentioned above (see the section on data about yearly and monthly auctions).
II.5. Data about intraday allocations The data about these allocations can be consulted by clicking "Operational data & tools" and then "Interconnections: market data". Clicking "Interconnections: market data" brings up a number of sub-sections allowing visitors to the site to choose the border and direction (import or export) for the transaction. Final values for capacity made available at each gate In the case of the France-Belgium interconnection, the data for these values are published on the joint Elia/RTE Web pages under Operational Data > Transfer capacities > France-Belgium > Intraday capacities. The data are published for each of the gates that have been set up. The relevant historical data can be downloaded in XLS format. In the case of the Belgium-Netherlands interconnection, the data for these values are published on the joint Elia/TenneT Web pages under Intraday ATC. In view of the implicit allocation mechanism, only the capacity data relating to the first gate of the day are published. For both interconnections Elia also publishes on its site the additional capacity - provided at the first gate - resulting from netting of yearly, monthly and daily nominations. The relevant historical data can be downloaded in XLS or CSV format. Nominations For each interconnection and direction, Elia publishes hourly totals for the amounts that have been nominated on a day-ahead basis (yearly, monthly and daily capacity nominations taken together) and the total amounts that have been nominated on an intraday basis across all the gates. The relevant historical data can be downloaded in XLS or CSV format.
III. Benefits of the publication of allocation data The market players derive various benefits from Elia publishing the quantitative data about interconnections: • the data are published free of charge and are available to everyone, so helping to enhance the transparency of the capacity allocation mechanisms, while providing the market players with the relevant economic information; • the information allows the market to assess the value of the capacities for different countries before making a capacity purchase or an energy purchase in one of these countries; • the publication of data about the allocation phase on coordinated shared sites further boosts the transparency of this phase and helps prevent inconsistencies in the information; • the data and charts made available to the market players provide them with an initial analysis of the capacity allocation results – furthermore, the historical data and the formats in which the relevant data can be downloaded make it easier to use the data in complementary analyses; • publication of the data online ensures that the market players have quick access to the relevant information.
Publication of data about interconnections in 5 key points • Elia publishes quantitative data about the interconnections and the mechanisms for allocating capacity. Publishing these data increases the transparency of these mechanisms and gives the market players relevant economic information. • For consistency, the location where the information is published depends on the mechanism. For phases of the process that are the responsibility of the joint operators designated by the system operators, the information is published on the site of these operators. A link takes visitors from the Elia website to those sites. • The type of information published may vary depending on the joint operators and allocation mechanism concerned. • In a spirit of non-discrimination, the data are made available to everyone, and access is completely free of charge.
I3-E-13.03.2012 / Non-contractual document / Editor: J. Vandermeiren, Bd de l’Empereur 20, 1000 Brussels
• The historical data that can be downloaded provide the market players with material for their analyses.