The common platform for CTDS operating successfully

- Common tool for data exchange and n-1 security assessments (CTDS) and the new Video Conferencing System have been operating successfully since 3 January 2011 supporting the common daily operational planning processes of the participating transmission system operators (pTSOs)

- The CTDS is currently implemented at ten pTSOs and is one of the major achievements of the TSO Security Cooperation (TSC) to master the growing operational needs throughout Central Europe in the context of the integration of wind power, increased cross-border trading and electricity transport

- Both the CTDS and the Video Conferencing System decisively contribute to  improve the view on the grid status forecasted and intensify the cooperation of  the pTSOs

- Memorandum of Understanding signed between Transmission System Operators on Regional Coordination Initiatives

The TSC has put the CTDS, the common tool for data exchange and n-1 security assessments, into full operation on 3 January 2011. Besides the CTDS the pTSOs have implemented a Video Conferencing System. The goal of this Video Conferencing System is to ease discussions between TSC operational planning engineers and control/security centres thus creating a kind of TSC wide virtual security centre.

The functionalities of the CTDS encompass data processing, load flow and contingency calculation, presentation of results, messaging and communication services as well as local study functionalities. The worldwide unique system CTDS receives operational forecast data from the European transmission system operators and adjacent electricity systems. It merges them into unique datasets, executes security calculations and provides the results to all pTSOs. The outcome enables each pTSO to take appropriate and coordinated operational measures to safeguard the European electricity system in a first step within a day-ahead timeframe and to perform further investigations. The decision support by the CTDS is fully integrated into daily operations. The CTDS will greatly improve the quality of cooperation between the pTSOs by allowing operators to confirm and compare effectiveness of different remedial actions.

After nearly three months of full operation the TSC can declare that both the CTDS and the Video Conferencing System are fully integrated in the daily operational planning of the pTSOs.

In order to fully utilize the possibilities of these systems the experts from involved TSOs work on further improvements in operational planning processes. For example, in the near future the CTDS will make it possible to complement already existing set of unilateral or bilateral remedial actions with more efficient multilateral ones.

Several TSOs in Europe have launched Regional Coordination Initiatives (RCIs) to develop and implement better coordination amongst themselves to fulfill their operational responsibilities. The TSOs entered into a Memorandum of Understanding between Transmission System Operators on Regional Coordination Initiatives to develop the RCIs in parallel and in good and efficient cooperation.