ČEPS to launch new service to guarantee grid restoration after outages in 2028

From 2028, Czech transmission system operator ČEPS will launch a new type of guaranteed ancillary service called System Restoration Capability (SOS), aimed at strengthening the ability to restore the grid and electricity supplies. Next year, it will select power plants through a tender that will guarantee they can independently restore operations and help re-establish electricity supplies in the event of a system collapse or blackout. ČEPS informed the Czech News Agency (ČTK) today.

"With the expected phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation, it is essential to secure resources that will be able to provide system restoration services with the required parameters over the long term. Our goal is to maintain a high level of preparedness for a large-scale outage and further strengthen the security and reliability of the Czech power system," said ČEPS CEO Jan Kalina.

According to him, other transmission system operators in Europe are also gradually introducing similar mechanisms.

According to ČEPS, the new service is linked to the overall transformation of the Czech Republic's generation base and energy sector as a whole, shifting transmission system restoration towards a comprehensive system service.

The SOS service may be provided by facilities connected to nodal areas of the transmission or distribution system that meet the relevant technical conditions. They will provide the capability to restore system operations and electricity supplies following an outage either fully autonomously or with the help of a secured external source at another location. Their minimum required capacity will be 135 megawatts (MW), which ČEPS said is based on an expert study focused on the physical conditions for the safe restoration of the transmission system after a complete outage.

Next year, ČEPS will launch a tender for suitable power plants, with the introduction of an IT system and certification of providers also planned. The service is scheduled to begin at the start of 2028.

The Czech Republic experienced a massive power outage on 4 July last year. It lasted several hours and affected around one million customers. There are 6.3 million metering points in the Czech Republic. According to the findings of an investigation presented by ČEPS at the end of last year, the main cause was a conductor falling onto line V411 due to an earlier faulty repair. This was followed by further outages. According to ČEPS, the system had not been overloaded beforehand. The findings of the analysis were also confirmed this year by a team of international experts.