Linking the Czech intraday electricity market with selected European markets is a step closer

Transmission system operators and nominated electricity market operators from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Romania and Croatia have established a local implementation project to deliver the coupling of intraday electricity markets based on the XBID (Cross-Border Intraday Market Project) technical solution. The technical component of the XBID solution is expected to be completed in Q4 2017, followed by final preparations for go-live.

The purpose of the XBID project is to enable continuous cross-zonal trading and increase the overall efficiency of intraday trading within the single cross-zonal intraday market across Europe.

The project for the pan-European coupling of intraday markets consists of members from 14 European countries. The Czech Republic is represented by transmission system operator ČEPS, a.s. and market operator OTE, a.s.

In August 2017, transmission system operators and nominated electricity market operators from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Romania, namely 50 Hertz, APG, ČEPS, EPEX SPOT, EXAA, HUPX, MAVIR, Nord Pool, OPCOM, OTE, TenneT and Transelectrica, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a local implementation project within XBID, through which intraday electricity markets will be coupled.

Later in August, the Croatian transmission system operator and nominated electricity market operator (HOPS, CROPEX) also joined the Memorandum.

“All project parties have expressed their interest in implementing continuous cross-border trading and introducing the implicit allocation of intraday cross-border transmission capacity at the Czech-German, Czech-Austrian, Austrian-Hungarian, Hungarian-Romanian and Hungarian-Croatian borders. The parties established a local implementation project (LIP 15) focused on meeting the requirements of the pan-European XBID project.” ČEPS states in a press release.

Since November 2014, the Czech Republic has participated in the 4M Market Coupling project, linking the day-ahead electricity markets of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. This project was preceded by a project linking the day-ahead markets of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, which was launched in 2012.

A total of 20,1 TWh of electricity was traded on the Czech day-ahead market in 2016, compared with 370 GWh on the intraday market. Under the above-mentioned coupling of day-ahead markets with Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, 2,7 TWh was transmitted over cross-border lines from the Czech Republic to Slovakia last year, while 2,1 TWh of electricity flowed in the opposite direction.