Tendering procedure for European IT platform launched

• IT platform ensures performance jump to perform better security assessments in Central Europe
• IT platform to be operational mid 2010
• IT platform next step after launch Real-time Awareness and Alarming system

On July 31st 2009, TSO Security Cooperation (TSC) has launched the tendering process for a common European IT platform for data exchange and common security assessments. This will help to better manage the growing operational needs with special regard to the integration of wind energy, increasing cross-border trading and increasing electricity transport. The common IT platform will be realised in a joint project and provides every participating Transmission System Operator with assessment results of the entire region. It enables Transmission System Operators to perform advanced studies for the identification of tight system situations and to decide on most appropriate remedial actions. It will be used within the day to day regional operational planning process of the Transmission System Operators. It will start with day-ahead processes and in a second step deal with system operation near to real-time.

Last week TSC launched RAAS, the Real-time Awareness and Alarming System, for Central Europe. RAAS provides a global view of the status of the electricity system in eleven control centres allowing TSOs to better take care of their responsibility. It eases the daily cooperation of European TSOs and enhances overall electrical system security in Central Europe.

Both the tendering for the common TSC IT platform and RAAS are concrete and important outcomes of the close cooperation between Transmission System Operators. This European coordination fosters security of supply in the concerned countries and in whole Europe.

TSO Security Cooperation

Transmission System Operators (TSO) VERBUND - Austrian Power Grid AG, Tiwag Netz, VKW Netz (Austria), swissgrid (Switzerland), EnBW Transportnetze, transpower stromübertragungs gmbh, RWE TSO, VE Transmission (Germany), TenneT TSO (The Netherlands), PSE Operator (Poland) and ČEPS (Czech Republic) launched in December 2008 an initiative to foster regional European cooperation for system security. The involved TSOs agreed to start up a “TSO System Security Cooperation” with the aim to build up a permanent TSO Security Panel (group of security experts) and a common IT platform for data exchange and performing common security assessments.

TSCs main goal is to ensure the overall system security of the European network, an area with 170 million citizens, and is open to the participation of other TSOs.

For further information, please contact:

• Joëlle Bouillon, Press Officer, transpower stromübertragungs gmbh
  Tel: +49 (0)921 / 915 4046, E-Mail: joelle.bouillon@transpower.de
• Olivier Feix, Head of Corporate Communications, VE Transmission
  Tel: +49 30 51503813, E-Mail: olivier.feix@vattenfall.de
• Artur Głuszek, Head of Information and Transmission System Operators Co-operation Section, PSE-Operator
  Tel: +48 223401068, E-Mail: artur.gluszek@pse-operator.pl
• Thomas Hegglin, Head of Corporate Communications, swissgrid
  Tel: +41 58 580 2400, E-Mail: thomas.hegglin@swissgrid.ch
• Pavla Mandátová, PR Specialist, ČEPS
  Tel: +420725805690, E-Mail: mandatova@ceps.cz
• Andreas Neuhauser, Head of communication department, VKW-Netz
  Tel: +43 (0) 5574 601 72600, E-mail: Andreas.Neuhauser@VKW.at
• Kirsten Koenigs, EnBW Transportnetze AG
  Tel: +49 (0) 711128 2271, E-Mail: K.Koenigs@enbw.com
• Marian Rappl, Head of Communication, RWE TSO
  Tel: +49 231 438-3679, E-Mail: marian.rappl@rwe.com
• Klaus Schüller, Authorised Officer, TIWAG-Netz
  Tel: +43 (0)50708 26301, E-Mail: klaus.schueller@tiwag-netz.at
• Gerald Schulze, Head of Communications, VERBUND - Austrian Power Grid AG
  Tel: +43 (0)50 313 56230, E-Mail: Gerald.Schulze@verbund.at
• Petra Wessels, Communication, TenneT TSO
  Tel: +31263732117, E-Mail: p.wessels@tennet.org