European power transmission grid operators helped Germans to avoid more serious problems.
The problems encountered by Germany’s power grid in June could have jeopardized also Slovakia. Electricity demand was higher than supply three times in a month which could have caused a blackout. Norbert Deak, the head of the communication department at the company Slovenska Elektrizacna Prenosova Sustava (SEPS), informed that Germany’s power grid eventually coped with the situation mostly thanks to the support from the European power transmission grid operators. “The European integrated grid has both pros and cons. The advantage is that if one grid finds itself in troubles, other grids can help and activate their balancing energy reserve in reaction to the lack of electricity. This means, however, that the total the balancing energy reserve of all operators is reduced,“ Deak said.
This energy reserve maintains the stability of the entire interconnected system and its reduction means a certain risk for all grids. “If any shortfall at several grids occurred, it could be impossible to react. There would be insufficient reserve to tackle the situation. This scenario, however, did not occur and German problems were solved,“ Deak stated.
Full story in Slovak: Nemci mohli ohroziť aj našu elektrizačnú sieť
