Frequency Containment Reserves

Fingrid purchases FCR-N and FCR-D from the domestic yearly and hourly markets, the Russian and Estonian HVDC links and other Nordic countries.
 
An operator may offer its capacity that is situated in Finland and fulfills reserve requirements to the yearly and/or hourly market. Both markets have the same technical requirements, and both markets trade in FCR-N and FCR-D separately.
Technical requirements

Reserve resources providing FCR-N or FCR-D must meet the technical requirements. Before participating in the reserve markets, prequalification tests must be performed to show that the requirements are fulfilled. The technical requirements are briefly presented in the table below. A full description of the requirements is available in the application instruction for maintenance of the Frequency Controlled Reserves. The application instruction also includes requirements on reporting and verification of maintained reserves.

 

Minimum size

Full activation time

Other

Frequency Containment Reserve for Normal Operation (FCR-N)

0,1 MW

in 3 min after frequency step change of ± 0,1 Hz

Dead band max ±0,05 Hz

Frequency Containment Reserve for Disturbances (FCR-D), power plants

1 MW

5 s / 50 %

30 s / 100 %,

after frequency step change of -0,50 Hz

 

Frequency Containment Reserve for Disturbances, relay-connected resources

1 MW

Option 1: piecewise linear regulation

5 s / 50 %

30 s / 100 %,

after frequency step change of -0,50 Hz

 

Option 2:

immediate disconnection when frequency  5 s ≤ 49,7 Hz OR 3 s ≤ 49,6 Hz OR 1 s ≤ 49,5 Hz

Reconnection of load is allowed when the frequency has been at least 49,9 Hz for 3 minutes

       
Procurement

Fingrid purchases Frequency Containment Reserves (FCR-N and FCR-D) from the domestic yearly and hourly markets, the Russian and Estonian HVDC links and other Nordic countries.

An operator may offer its capacity that is situated in Finland and fulfills reserve requirements to the yearly and/or hourly market. Both markets have the same technical requirements, and both markets trade in FCR-N and FCR-D separately. The principle differences between the yearly and hourly markets are described in the table below:

Yearly market

Hourly market

Bidding competition organised once a year (autumn).

A reserve owner can participate in the hourly market by making a separate agreement with Fingrid. This does not require making a yearly agreement.​

In the middle of a contractual period, it is not possible to enter by making a yearly agreement for reserve maintenance.

Possible to enter the hourly market even in the middle of the year.

The amount based on reserve plans is bought in total.​

TSO buys only required amount of reserve.

Reserve plans must be submitted the previous day by 6 pm (EET).

Bids for the hours in the following 24-hour period must be submitted by 6.30 pm (EET).

The operator is obliged to maintain the reserve it sells to the yearly market within the framework of its free capacity after day-ahead market.

​Reserve owners may submit daily offers for their reserve capacity. An operator that has a yearly agreement may participate in the hourly market only if it has supplied the reserve amount specified in the yearly agreement in full.

Fixed price is valid throughout the year. This is set based on the most expensive bid approved for the yearly market.

​Payment is set based on the most expensive bid used separately for each hour.

 

The yearly and hourly market agreements for FCR-N and FCR-D that Fingrid concludes with all the parties are identical in terms of their conditions, content and payments.  

Details

Anders Lundberg

Special Adviser 
+358 30 395 4171

Mikko Kuivaniemi

Specialist
tel. +358 30 395 5188

Pia Ruokolainen

Specialist
tel. +358 30 395 5105

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