Power consumers should be allowed to join the reserve market

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In order not to weaken the security of supply of power system in Latvia, the deficit of electricity balancing reserves should be solved urgently, to give possibility for electricity consumers participate in reserve market, concludes in annual statement of transmission system operator, prepared and published by AS "Augstsprieguma tīkls" (AST).

"Is expected, that in coming years, the easy regulated base power plants in Baltic will be replaced by solar and wind power plants. In 2025 is planned to disconnect the Baltic power systems from Russian power system, and to start system frequency regulation in accordance with EU requirement, which will increase amount of reserves, necessary for frequency regulation and energy balancing. Therefore, is necessary to prepare legislation to stimulate elasticity of electricity consumption, involving consumers in reserves providing process" says Varis Boks, Chairman of AST Management Board.

Deficit of generating capacities is expected in the next decade both in Latvia and in Baltics. Considering, that construction of new generation capacities is quite expensive, is necessary to use existing resources as much as possible. The consumers involving in frequency regulation and balancing process is successfully using in many Europe countries, thus facilitating security of electricity supply and providing consumers with additional opportunities to receive economic benefit from the electricity market.

The demand size response activities in balancing reserve market in Latvia currently is not used at all. Both electricity consumers and aggregates, specialized brokerage operators, are interested and ready to provide to customers such service on the wholesale market. The development of this process is currently delayed by a lack of regulation on this field.

The annual statement of transmission system operator, prepared by AST is strategic document of Latvian power system development, which analyses several possible generation development scenarios, electrical energy consumption and maximum load in Latvia, power adequacy for 10-year period and notifies about available capacities to cover load in coming future.

The Annual statement of transmission system operator can be found in AST web page.