An integrated pan-European ancillary services market for frequency control

Abstract

Real-time balancing of mismatches between consumption and production is one of the key elements for the secure operation of power systems. This takes place within the framework of ancillary services managed by respective national transmission system operating companies. The objective of this paper is to investigate the option of one integrated pan-European ancillary services market. Our contribution is twofold: quantifying the potential benefit of such an option and outlining a possible approach to such an option highlighting its positive properties as well as risks and challenges. In several recently published considerations of pan-European electricity supply models this topic has not been adequately addressed, but we believe it is one of the crucial subjects in shaping the future electricity supply in Europe.