RTE ensures the balance of electricity flows over the transmission grid and oversees the revision of the French power system balancing methods, to incorporate the new changes brought about by the Guideline on Electricity Balancing.

This guideline provides, in particular, that European transmission system operators put forward a strategy for implementing a common platform for exchange of balancing energy with an activation time not exceeding 30 minutes, also called CMOL of RR (Common Merit Order List of Replacement Reserve). The TERRE project (Trans European Replacement Reserve Exchange) was launched by 6 European TSOs (National Grid, REE, REN, RTE, Swissgrid and TERNA) with the aim to implement this platform.

In order to ensure a gradual transition for stakeholders, the new exchange arrangements have been progressively integrated into the MA-RE and frequency ancillary services Terms and Conditions, in consultation with market players. The impacts, particularly in information systems, could thus be absorbed following regular milestones.

To provide support and visibility for market participants, this page presents the major changes brought by the TERRE project to the balancing mechanism and scheduling rules. It also provides technical documentation for TOPASE, TAO and GIPSE applications (IS Terms and Conditions and guides) and APIs.

Timetable for implementation

• The first connection of RTE to the TERRE platform took place on 2 December 2020.
• The under control operation phase ended on 1 April 2022: RTE now connects to all TERRE gates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The developments brought about by the TERRE project

In the summary table below, you will find the main changes related to the implementation of the TERRE Project.

Scheduling (only for generators)

Balancing energy bids (set up and submission)

Activation of bids

Settlement of energy balancing

Transparency

Technical documentation

The links to the applications described below are available on the access market applications page. The APIs are accessible on the Data Portal.

The TOPASE application (submission of bids and schedules for balancing purposes) allows you to send RTE:

• balancing energy bids (specific and standard),

• forecast dispatch schedules.

You will find documentation on the use of TOPASE here:

• Implementation Guide 
• Introduction to TOPASE HMI
• TERRE example files (XML and XSD)

For any questions on the TOPASE application, please contact RTE-refonteMA-TOP@rte-france.com

The TAO application (automated transmission of balancing orders) currently provides the means to receive balancing orders and send the response.

New features will be added under TERRE project:

• Automated receipt of standard orders,

• Transmission of responses to standard orders,

• Transmission of final dispatch schedules after acceptance of specific or standard orders.

TAO is also made available to distribution system operators for viewing orders.

You will find documentation on the use of TAO here:

• TAO documentation for receiving balancing orders

For any question concerning this documentation or the tests, please contact rte-projet-tao@rte-france.com

The GIPSE application (computerised management of the perimeters and media for the electricity system) is the entry point for declaring reference:

• Declaration of the resolution of the forecast dispatch schedule: 30’, 15’ or 5’.

• Declaration of BEs and, where appropriate, the SEs for which a final dispatch schedule will be sent to RTE.

• Declaration of BEs participating in the TERRE platform.

The declaration of participation of a BE in the TERRE platform is applied for request for qualification of the capacities of this BE for RR CMOL. The GIPSE application allows you to consult the qualification status of the BE.

You will find documentation on the use of GIPSE here:

• Implementation Guide for Balancing Mechanism data exchanges

• GIPSE documentation for declaring balancing perimeters

The BIG Back Office Balancing API (BOB API) provides balancing service providers with activation and settlement data for balancing operations:

• Activations, activated bids and schedules, 15 min after the imbalance settlement interval and update with metered data in M+1.

• Imbalance settlement price published on D+3.

• Long term: monthly balance sheet and detailed monthly balance sheet, published from end M+1.

The documentation required for the BIG Back Office Balancing API is listed below:

• BIG Back Office Balancing API User Guide

For any questions on the BOB application, please contact rte-refontema-bob@rte-france.com

The Balancing Energy and Balancing Capacity APIs will evolve to enable publishing of the public data related to the TERRE platform to market participants  (expressed need and associated price, satisfied need, clearing price, offered volumes, and volumes activated by the TERRE platform).

Technical documentation will be available upstream on the RTE data portal:

• The API Balancing Energy user guide (in draft mode) is now available.

• The API Balancing Capacity user guide (in draft mode) will be available soon.

Additional information

• The regulatory framework for balancing

• Participate in the balancing mechanism

• Schedule your active powers

Contact

For any questions, please contact marketservices@rte-france.com