"Transparency in Energy Markets" goes live

In the framework of their commitment to transparency in European energy trading European Energy Exchange AG (EEX) and the four German transmission system operators (TSOs), Amprion GmbH, EnBW Transportnetze AG, transpower stromübertragungs gmbh and Vattenfall Europe Transmission GmbH, have implemented a new central transparency platform for generation and consumption data.

With this step publication requirements under the "Congestion Management Guidelines" (annex to the "EC Directive No. 1228/2003") are implemented in this form for the first time in Continental Europe and, at the same time, they are integrated with the existing practice of voluntary publication. The new "Transparency in Energy Markets" platform increases the comprehensibility of market pricing. This aims at strengthening the confidence which the public and the trading participants place in the market and at promoting the development and integration of the European market.Following the successful conclusion of pilot operation the website www.transparency.eex.com will be available for the public from 30th October.

The new transparency platform is the result of intensive co-operation between TSOs, EEX and individual power plant operators. The comprehensive preparatory work regarding the technology and contents was accomplished by a group of experts established at the German Association of Energy and Water Industries, registered association (BDEW), in which the German Association of the Energy and Power Supply Industry, registered association (VIK) and the German Association of Local Utilities, registered association (VKU) have also taken part, over the last twelve months.Power plant operators e.g. report data regarding the installed capacity, scheduled and unscheduled non-usabilities of generating facilities and the planned and actual generation of power to the new platform. Moreover, data regarding the consumption of power in the industrial sector is also to be published. Amongst other aspects, the TSOs will provide information regarding the expected and actual generation of power from wind energy, which has only been provided on the websites of the individual companies so far. With the publications on the transparency platform the TSOs fulfil current statutory and regulatory transparency requirements.Upon an initiative by the power plant operators the group of experts decided that voluntary publications by the power plant operators, which have been tried and tested on the current EEX transparency platform, will be continued. The section "Voluntary commitments by the trading participants" comprises information on the actual generation of power according to the primary energy source of the generating facilities and on the available generation capacity on a rolling basis for the next 365 days. Information products offered by EEX round off the service.

The new service offer is provided jointly by EEX and the TSOs with the exchange assuming operation and financing of the platform. Following a period of transition with parallel operation of both platforms until 31st December the current web presence will finally be replaced by the new platform.

The system has a modular structure so that further data from the energy industry can be implemented without problems. The expansion with further countries (e.g. Austria) is both possible and desired.