Poland’s grid operator has called on capacity market participants to deliver power as a new wave of extreme heat and hydrological drought tests the national system. The call is set for Tuesday, August 4, from 17:00 to 19:00, although the operator warned the window could move.
Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne, the transmission system operator, said every entity with capacity market obligations must now fulfill them. In this case that means providing more than 2 GW to the system during the indicated period. Generators have to place that capacity at the operator’s disposal or feed it into the network, depending on their unit type, while demand-side consumers bound by capacity agreements must cut their consumption.
This is the second capacity market call in Poland this year and the fourth since the mechanism was introduced. The previous one took place on June 30 and was triggered by the same combination of high temperatures and pressure on the electricity system. Participants receive payments for staying in readiness and responding when the operator issues a call, which has to be announced no later than eight hours before the planned delivery time.
Why the grid is under pressure
PSE said Tuesday’s call is linked to soaring demand caused mainly by air conditioning and cooling appliances. Solar farms help during the day, but only if cooling actually runs in sync with high solar generation. Many cooling units are switched on in the evening, when photovoltaic output disappears and conventional coal and gas plants must increase output to balance the system.
Some conventional units are currently operating with limits because of high temperatures and low water levels. PSE stresses it has operational procedures and tools to keep the grid stable in such conditions, with capacity market calls being one of those tools. For ordinary household customers, the call does not mean any disruption; the operator only recommends limiting power consumption for economic reasons. The exception applies to demand-reduction units that signed capacity market contracts.
Data from around 11:00 showed that renewables accounted for nearly 53 percent of the 24.3 GW of generation at the transmission level, with solar making up almost 51 percent of that renewable output. Hard coal supplied 25 percent of the mix, lignite 11 percent and gas 7 percent. Poland was also exporting nearly 4 GW, mainly to Germany and the Czech Republic.
Central Europe faces a tougher test
PSE declares the Polish system is well prepared for summer demand, pointing to previous heatwaves that were handled without major problems. The situation in central Europe is more serious, however. Hungary’s only nuclear plant, which normally covers half of the country’s electricity generation, was running at only about 10 percent of installed capacity. Prime Minister Peter Magyar warned it might shut down entirely on Sunday or Monday, but that has not happened yet. Another wave of extreme heat is approaching, and the shrinking Danube is making cooling of reactors harder while demand keeps growing.
Romania is dealing with similar challenges. Its army resumed controlled detonations on the Danube on Monday to channel more water to the Cernavodă nuclear power plant. The low river level has also pushed the Djerdap hydropower plants in Serbia to their lowest output since commissioning.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. 2000studio / Shutterstock
