Pilot study on ancillary services from resources with variable production or consumption
Svenska kraftnät invited market participants to a collaboration on the conditions for delivering ancillary services and remedial actions from resources with variable production or consumption.
In January 2022, Svenska kraftnät initiated a pilot study on the delivery of ancillary services and remedial actions from resources with variable production or consumption.
The pilot study offers market participants an opportunity to explore their own conditions for delivering ancillary services from resources with variable production or consumption, in collaboration with Svenska kraftnät.
The project started in early 2022 and is ongoing during 2023 with possible extension. We are currently going through the proposed test procedure and together with the participated actors contributing for further developments. Notification of interest to participate in the pilot is closed.
As Transmission Systems Operator (TSO), Svenska kraftnät is responsible for ensuring the availability of tools necessary to secure system operation, such as various ancillary services and remedial actions. These have different degrees of voluntariness, market base and compensation. Ancillary services are completely market-based and there are several different services used for different needs of the power system.
To be able to contribute with an ancillary service or remedial actions, suppliers need to have undergone a prequalification with approved results.
In this context, a resource is the term used for some form of plant or installation that can regulate its production or consumption of electricity and thus constitute a resource for the power system. Some resources are affected by uncontrollable external factors and thus have natural variations in their active effect. For example, varying wind speeds leads to variations in the production of wind power, varying solar radiation affect production of solar power, and different temperature cause differences for heat pumps or fans.
Collaboration key to enable more players to partake in the market
The purpose of the pilot study is to collaborate with the industry to create an understanding of the conditions for variable resources to contribute with ancillary services and to investigate how the prequalification process should be performed for resources with variable production or consumption.
Market players participating in the study are given the opportunity to present their proposals of new technical solutions. This may clarify the need to adjust the proposal for the prequalification process.
The aim is to have a mix of market players and types of technologies participating in order to get an overall and nuanced picture of the feasibility of the requirement verification process, and to exchange experiences.
Prequalification is closed
For the actor who has sent a notification of interest to take part in the pilot, an approved initial simplified prequalification application is required to be able to participate in markets. Submission of the prequalification application is closed.
Ancillary services and remedial actions within the scope of the pilot study
The study will include Frequency Containment Reserves (FCR-N, FCR-D upwards and FCR-D downwards), Frequency Restoration Reserves (aFRR and mFRR) as well as the remedial action Fast Frequency Reserve (FFR). Relevant types of technology includes, but is not limited to, wind power, solar power and consumption resources with underlying power variations.
Terms for participation
The participant chooses what market or markets to participate in
Participation in the pilot is voluntary. Participants partake in the market for one or more of the ancillary services FCR-N, FCR-D upregulation, FCR-D downregulation, aFRR, mFRR and/or remedial action FFR. If relevant, the corresponding criteria for the frequency-related functions in RfG (FSM and LFSM) may also be discussed in connection with the pilot study.
Approval of initial simplified prequalification grants access to the market
Units/groups that participate in the pilot and undergo an initial simplified prequalification with approved results may participate in the relevant markets during the pilot study in accordance with the ordinary rules. There will not be any special compensation paid in addition to the ordinary compensation on the market.
It is possible to participate in the pilot study without undergoing a prequalification, but in that case, the resource may not participate on the market.
Prequalification application for participation in pilot for variable resources (.docx) Download
Test results can be used towards a regular prequalification
Units/groups participating in the pilot study may use the test results obtained to undergo a complete prequalification in connection with the end of the pilot.
More information on prequalification (in English)
Test of new support document for market participants
Svenska kraftnät has issued a support document to the market participants with variable production or consumption who partake in the pilot study.
The document describes the principles proposed by Svenska kraftnät on what a market participant with variable resources must be able to verify in connection with a prequalification which is required before the resource can be approved to deliver ancillary services. The document will be further developed in connection with the pilot study and then be used in future prequalifications.
Do you want to participate in the pilot study?
Svenska kraftnät is now looking for market participants who want to partake in the pilot study. Do you want to participate? Send a notification of interest no later than 25/4 2022 to our FCR e-mail: fcr@svk.se. The notification of interest shall contain a brief description if the intended resources, as well as a rough estimate of when prequalification can be performed. Mark the e-mail by writing "Pilot for variable resources" in the subject line.
Please note that you need to send all messages regarding the pilot study to the FCR e-mail address, regardless of what ancillary service you are interested in partaking with.
Start-up meetings with interested participants
Participation in the pilot study required a notification of interest no later than April 25, 2022. Svenska kraftnät contacted interested parties and held a joint start-up meeting with all participants on April 25.
More information and contact
If you have any questions regarding the pilot study, please don’t hesitate to contact Svenska kraftnät by mail to the FCR mailbox: fcr@svk.se. Please note that all messages regarding the pilot study are to be directed to the FCR e-mail, regardless of the ancillary service concerned.
Documents and links
Information on prequalification (English)
More information on the pilot study is available in Swedish
Press statement: Sol- och vindkraften bjuds in som elstödtjänsteleverantörer
More information on ancillary services and remedial actions: Om olika reserver