EASE has prepared a short summary on one of the following energy storage application groups - Services to Support Distribution Infrastructure.
November 2021 / Reports and Studies
Ancillary Services
The Task Force on Segmentation of Applications has developed The Ancillary Services Report, among other application descriptions. This work builds on the Summary of Energy Storage Applications published in June 2020.
This overview provides a summary of different energy storage applications that support the efficient operation of the power grid. Ancillary Services are generally tendered by transmission and distribution system operators to ensure reliable power supply. These services can be provided by a variety of technologies as well as the already commonly tendered ones on the market, and provided by storage operators.
Services to Distribution Infrastructure are composed of nine key systems:
Frequency Containment Reserve (FCR): primary frequency - maintains a balance between generation and consumption within the Synchronous Area. Aims to maintain the operational reliability of the power system of the Synchronous Area and stabilises the system frequency at a stationary value.
Automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve (aFRR): Secondary frequency - adjusts the active power production of the generating units to restore the frequency and the interchanges with other systems to their target values following an imbalance, and brings the frequency back to its target value.
Manual Frequency Restoration Reserve (mFRR): Tertiary frequency - restores primary and secondary frequency control reserves, manages congestion in the transmission network, and brings frequency and interchanges back to their target value.
Replacement Reserve (RR): restoring or supporting the required level of frequency restoration reserve (FRR) and system imbalances, including generation reserves through active power reserves
Load Following: serves as load following capacity that adjusts its output to balance the generation and the load within a specific region or area.
Frequency Stability of Weak Grids: maintaining the frequency stability by helping avoid load shedding in islands due to the feasible very prompt response of distributed energy storage systems (DESS).
Black Start: contributes to the process of recovering a power station to operation without relying on an external power network.
Voltage Support: maintains voltage by injecting or absorbing reactive power by means of synchronous or static compensation. Different kinds of voltage control are implemented by individual TSOs, based on their own policies: primary, secondary and tertiary voltage.
New Ancillary Services: delivers a reactive current response for voltage dips in excess and supplies the reactive current with a specific rise time.
EASE has published its 2022 Activity Report. In 2022, safeguarding our Energy Security became an urgent priority, underscored by geopolitical instability and the increasing pace of the climate crisis. At EASE, we have continued to push for the deployment of Energy Storage, which is key to secure an independent access to energy, whilst paving the way for a carbon neutral economy.
EASE has responded to the European Commission's Public Consultation on the Revision of the EU’s Electricity Market Design. This initiative aims to review the current electricity market design and identify areas for improvement that could support the integration of renewable energy sources, while ensuring security of supply and keep prices affordable for consumers.
On 7 December 2022, over 200 participants attended webinar on electricity market design revision and joined the discussion on how it can enable energy storage for a carbon-neutral future. Representatives of EASE Policy team presented the latest EASE policy analysis paper "The Electricity Market Design Revision" and shared a list of changes identified to ensure a renewable-based and secure energy system. Speakers from Iberdrola, CellCube, Fluence and Enel X joined to discuss the topic.
EASE has finalised a paper on the upcoming electricity market design revision, highlighting how energy storage can enable a carbon-neutral future. More than ever, energy independence, security of supply, sector integration, and decarbonisation are guiding policymakers’ actions. EASE identifies a list of changes as needed to ensure a renewable-based and secure energy system.
