Automatic Frequency Restoration Process (aFRR/R2)

 

Product design

The flexibility used for automatic frequency restoration must comply with the aFRR design. It differs from the FCR and the mFRR balancing services primarily in the fact that Elia activates aFRR automatically by sending a set-point every four seconds and that the requested energy is to be activated within 7.5 minutes.

 A grid user supplying secondary reserves must therefore be equipped to communicate with the Elia dispatching center.

This service is currently only available from assets subject to outage planning and scheduling coordination (also known as CIPU assets). 

 

Reserved and non-reserved flexibility

A BSP must at least offer aFRR energy bids corresponding to its aFRR obligations (i.e. reserved volume). A BSP also has the possibility to offer non-reserved energy bids.

IGCC: The current European platform for imbalance netting

PICASSO: The future European platform for the exchange of aFRR balancing energy

Currently the Full Activation Time (FAT) within the Elia LFC area is 7.5 minutes. Elia plans to move to a 5 minutes FAT by 17/12/2024 at the latest. The modification will be taken into account at the earliest after the next design of 2022. The further detailed milestones will be published once the detailed planning of the modification is known.