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.