A Common Target Regulatory Framework for the Mediterranean TSOs – Harmonization of Technical Rules

Wednesday 15 march 2017, a workshop entitled “A Common Target Regulatory Framework for the Mediterranean TSOs – Harmonization of Technical Rules” took place in Madrid, organized by Med-TSO and hosted by Red Eléctrica de España (REE) at its headquarters in Alcobendas, Madrid.

About 60 people from 13 countries took part to the event, promoted by Med-TSO’s Technical Committee 2 “Regulation and Institutions” to share views on the Common Target Regulatory Framework and the Tentative Road Map, as well as to interchange experiences and challenges in the different fields of practical implementation at national level and multinational harmonization of rules concerning TSOs functions.

The definition of a Common Target Regulatory Framework for the Mediterranean and the possible Road Map for its implementation are outcomes of the activities performed by Med-TSO in the frame of the Mediterranean Project. Funded by the EU, this project aims at establishing a permanent exchange of knowledge, developing and implementing a harmonized and integrated Mediterranean electricity grid and setting up a roadmap to share resources, costs and risks of investments in energy infrastructures in the Mediterranean Region.

Eva Pagan, General Manager of Transmission Division of REE, welcomed the guests: “The Mediterranean is our natural area of influence. We fully support Med-TSO Mission, Vision and Objectives, and I sincerely hope that today’s experience will contribute to the progress of work of our « Mediterranean Project », to be completed in approximately one year. All Med-TSO Partners, our stakeholders Medreg, UfM (Union for the Mediterranean), ENTSO-E and the EC (European Commission DG NEAR), which is supporting our work with a three-year grant, are contributing and assisting us in achieving the expected results”.

Thus, Victor Baptista, Med-TSO acting President wished to all an excellent experience and then left the floor to Juan Francisco Alonso, Med-TSO TC2 chairman and Manager of Grid Access Department of REE, who opened the first session of work on “Presentation of Med-TSO Technical Committee 2 Regulation and Institutions”.

During this session, several TC2 members presented the proposal of common target regulatory framework in different field: Legal and Regulatory, Connection, Operation and System service market, as well as the proposal of a common tentative road map.

The second session of the workshop dealt with the multinational harmonization. MEDREG (the Mediterranean Energy Regulators Association, institutional partner of Med-TSO) presented with Benoit Esnault, WG Electricity Chairman, its perspective on the regional regulatory dynamics towards a better integration of the electricity systems, while Luis Jesús Sanchez Tembleque, Chairperson of MEDREG WG RES presented the Regulator perspectives on RES integration.

Maria Luisa Olano from MEDENER, the Association of the Mediterranean National Agencies for Energy Conservation, reported on the cooperation in the Region through the UfM Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Platforms.
The new Secretary General of ENTSO-E (the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity) Laurent Schmitt talked about the implementation of the European Network Codes and the cooperation with Third Country TSOs, underlining the importance to strengthen the cooperation with Med-TSO. María José Clara, General Manager of REN (Portuguese TSO), and Laura Moreno, Operation Markets Department of REE, reported on their experience in the MIBEL, the Iberian electricity market.
Mazen Al Nabulsi, Operation Department Manager and Ali Hamaideh, Director Managing Consultant Operating Affairs, from NEPCO, the Jordanian TSO, closed this session presenting their experience with the EIJLLPST (an interconnection project among 8 countries) and the ongoing EC-NEPCO twinning project.

The third session of the workshop, moderated by Mihai Paun, Med-TSO Project Manager, focused on the national implementation of Network Codes. Pascal Bertolini, RTE, addressed the issue of the Implementation of Connection Network Codes in France and in non-EU countries (Turkey and Ivory Coast); María Sánchez, REE, reported on the implementation of the System Operation Guidelines and their impact in managing renewables, while Ester Peregrina, also from REE, reported on the implementation of Market codes.
The implementation of European network codes in Albania, an Energy Community member was presented by Denis Qirollari, from OST ( the Albanian TSO), while Aziz Ameyoud, PdG of OS, the Algerian System Operator, presented the ongoing regulatory harmonization in the Maghreb countries. Finally, George Christofi, from Cyprus TSO, pointed out the regulatory challenges in an isolated system.

Closing the workshop, Ramón Granadino (Director for Engineering and Design of REE) and Angelo Ferrante (Secretary General of Med-TSO) thanked REE and Med-TSO Secretariat for the perfect organization of the event, as well as the internal and external participants for the highly qualified and productive discussion. Angelo Ferrante highlighted that this workshop is the first of a series of similar events that will be organized in the frame of this last year of the Mediterranean Project.

The workshop was followed by a visit to the Control Centre of REE.

All the presentations showed during the workshop are available here.