About SECI

ABOUT SECI TSP

Power Systems of South East Europe are relatively small, and their mutual influence is extremely high, so there is necessity to analyze transmission development plans from regional point of view, in order to optimize transmission system development.

Main task is to collect national inputs and development plans from countries in South East Europe (Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey) to make and regularly update regional transmission system model and to build regional data base, that will be used for power transmission system analysis, thus increasing and institutionalizing regional cooperation. This task is performet as each power utility (country TSOs) is sending models of their own system to EKCs experts, that are acting as model integrator.  Obligation of EKC is to integrate all these models into one regional set of models.

Also, one of the tasks is to perform regional analyses and studies, that are of regional importance and influence. For this purpose ISTG (International Study Task Group) was formed, in which every member has its experts, thus institutionalizing regional cooperation in expert level enabling joint approach in analyses, exchange of information and knowledge. Beside TSOs experts, members of this group are also experts from EKC and EIHP (Energy Institute Hrvoje Pozar) from Zagreb.

Looking for the possibilities for realization of the projects from the SECI common interest list and in correlation with the other regional initiatives, the Regional Transmission Planning Project was identified and initiated with the main sponsorship of USAID, Energy and Infrastructure Bureau for Europe and Eurasia.

PROJECT HISTORY    

European Commission project “Balkan Energy Interconnection Task Force” was established in 1997, and is one of the background documents for the SECI Project Group activities. In the framework of this Task Force, the Inventory of the potential interconnections in the Balkan region was described. The aim of the project was to help ensure the efficiency and coordination of electricity, oil and gas interconnection investment initiatives in the Balkan region.

The Stability Pact Program for the countries of the region was established to develop the coordinated policy for the SEE regional development and many power infrastructure studies and potential investments were identified and funds pledged.

In parallel with the SECI Project Group activities the Study for Regional Electricity Market (REM) was initiated in 1999, under the EC sponsorship. Based on this Study, the two Memorandums were signed by the Energy Ministers in the region, for the development of the REM. With the establishment of the SEEERF in June 2002 and the new MoU signed by the relevant ministers, the REM process is reestablished under the strong leadership of the EC and with support of the donors community.

This Project was initiated based on a SECI Project Group common interest list of studies and the interest of the Power Utilities in the region. Another aspect was the necessity for better regional evaluation of the possible investments through the Stability Pact. In this regard, one of the goals of this project is to evaluate the regional benefits of the proposed new investments in the power interconnections in the region. USAID, as the main sponsor, contracted CMS Energy in the USA as lead consultant and Project Managers (in latter stages it was USEA). The Consultant with ESM as coordinator and with the participation and supervision of USAID and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Macedonia reviewed the existing TORs and drafted the Memorandum of Understanding and Work Plan. They also assessed the interest of the potential participating utilities, prior the starting the project.

Formal Organizational Meeting of SECI TSP was held in Skopje on March 6th and 7th, 2001.  During this meeting the MoU was adopted and signed by the participants and the Work Plan was reviewed and adopted. In this Project the following countries/companies are involved: Albania – KESH; Bosnia and Herzegovina – ZEKC, EPBiH, EPRS, EPHZHB; Bulgaria – NEK; Croatia – HEP; Macedonia – ESM; Greece – PPC/HSTO; Hungary – MVM; Romania – Transelectrica; Turkey – TEIAS; Yugoslavia, Serbia – EPS, Montenegro – EPCG.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since project was initiated numerous tasks and studies have been successfully accomplished.

One of main activities is regional model building, development and maintenance, which is performed with participations of all countries in SEE. So far following data sets have been build:

• winter peak load 2005 (with and without Turkey)
• summer off-peak load 2005 (with and without Turkey)
• winter peak load 2010
• summer off-peak load 2010
• summer peak load 2010
• winter peak load 2015
• summer off-peak load 2015
• summer peak load 2015
• winter peak load 2020
• summer off-peak load 2020
• summer peak load 2020

 All these data sets include data necessary for transmission network analyses of all types (load flow analyses, short circuits and faults analyses, dynamic analyses etc...). So far, these models have been used in almost all studies (regional and internal) performed in the region, which proves their importance and quality.

Beside regional models, major task of this ISTG group was performing analyses and studies. So far numerous major studies have been finished:

Transmission Network Investment Criteria (2007)

Main objective of this study is to develop common and regional approach for transmission network development and also to develop common approach in evaluating investment plans from regional perspective, taking into consideration strong influence of electricity market opening. Following studies have been performed: Data collection and analyses, Legislative analyses, Regional network development etc...

REBIS - Generation Investment Study-update: Transmission network adequacy evaluation (for: PWC, WB) (2007)

Main objective of the Generation Investment Study is to assist the EC, WB and donors in identifying an indicative priority list of investments in power generation and related electricity infrastructure in South East Europe, and its influence on parallel network development plans. Time horizon is 2005-2015, and the main goal is to see weather expected network topology and development level is sufficient for generation expansion plan, made according to market conditions. The following studies have been performed: Load flow and voltage profile studies, Installation of new production capacities (different scenarios), Regional network development and necessary reinforcements...

REBIS - Generation Investment Study: Transmission network adequacy evaluation (for: PWC, WB) (2005)

Main objective of the Generation Investment Study is to assist the EC, WB and donors in identifying an indicative priority list of investments in power generation and related electricity infrastructure in South East Europe, and its influence on parallel network development plans. Time horizon is 2005-2015, and the main goal is to see weather expected network topology and development level is sufficient for generation expansion plan, made according to market conditions. The following studies have been performed: Load flow and voltage profile studies, Installation of new production capacities (different scenarios), Regional network development and necessary reinforcements...

SECI Regional Electricity Interconnection Planning Study (2003-2004)

Main objective is to analyze eventual “bottlenecks” in regional network, and how development plans influence power trade possibilities, to identify projects with regional importance. Target years were 2005-2010, and numerous bulk power exchange scenarios have been investigated in order to find transmission network limitations, and eventual remedies to increase overall network capacity. Numerous interconnection project have been investigated and ranking of this projects has been performed with goal to help potential investors select best projects from regional point of view.