Fingrid is responsible for maintaining a continuous power balance between electricity production and consumption in Finland, i.e. for balance management. Monitoring relating to balance management takes place 24 hours a day at Fingrid’s Power System Control Centre in Helsinki.
The primary objective in balance management in the inter-Nordic power system is to maintain the power system frequency, which describes the balance between electricity production and consumption. In a normal situation, the frequency is permitted to vary between 49.9 and 50.1 hertz (Hz). If the frequency of the grid is below 50 Hz, consumption exceeds production. Correspondingly, when the frequency is above 50 Hz, production is greater than consumption.
The power balance is
maintained by means of frequency-controlled reserves and manual regulations. The frequency-controlled reserve consists of power which is activated automatically by frequency changes. If it is not possible to keep the frequency within the permitted limits using frequency-controlled reserves alone, manual up-regulation or down-regulation must be carried out in the
balancing power market.