Lancelot GDS: Implementation of ancillary services module at EOP
The Lancelot GDS module is a modern solution for ancillary service providers within the Czech Republic. The module fully integrates the changes in the CEPS Code from 1 April 2022 and provides a full-featured counterparty for communication with the CEPS MMS system. It was delivered by Unicorn Systems for EOP.
The objective was to provide EOP operators, traders and general staff with a tool to work efficiently in the areas of day-ahead market bidding, operation preparation and regulatory energy bids in the provision of ancillary services.
A significant benefit is the thin-client solution, providing flexibility, a modern user environment and the convenience of working with data from anywhere.
Initial State
Prior to the introduction of the new system, users had to enter data directly into the MMS system via the CEPS web interface. This process involved preparing DM bid data and arranging traffic preparation processed in Excel spreadsheets in advance. The actual data entry into the MMS was then done by manually copying the values. While this data processing method was sufficient in most cases, it was also prone to human error.
Typos, incorrect formatting, and other inaccuracies occurred during copying that affected the accuracy and integrity of the data.
When it came to data evaluation, users had to export data directly from the MMS as CSV files and then import it into internal Excel spreadsheets for further processing. This process was purely manual and meant that users did not have an automatic overview of the evaluation and the current state of the data.
Operational work then required repeated logins to the MMS portal, and access to the data was therefore limited.
Our Solution
Thanks to the integrated communication to the MMS CEPS system, the solution enables efficient support of key business processes in accordance with the code valid from 1.4.2022, such as:
- trading on the daily market of power balancing services, including bid cancellations and validations
- registration of long-term and short-term contracts, including the resolution of contracts from the transfer of power balancing services
- registration of transfers of power balancing services, their establishment and lifecycle management
- management of traffic preparation and RE offers, including technical binding and validations
- fully automatic process of cancellation of traffic preparation upon change of aggregation block configuration
- automatic generation of RE offers according to user configuration, including automatic generation of technical binding
- records of contract, provider, block and RE evaluation
Technology
- HTLM5, ReactJS, Unicorn Application Framework (UAF)
- NodeJS (REST),
- .NET Framework 4.5
- Oracle, MsSQL, MongoDB
The system takes full advantage of events from the MMS side and proactively keeps the system updated depending on the type of event. This includes, for example, updating contracts after the close of the daily market, changes to traffic preparation on the MMS side, and more.
The user interface is integrated into the Lancelot EDM environment, which is designed on a thin-client basis. Using the Lancelot EDM solution, it is possible to present all recorded data in the form of graphs and custom tables or use them for further calculations using the built-in formula editor, which further extends the possibility of covering the needs of the user and the company in terms of data handling and reporting. Another significant added value of the EDM platform is the ability to download data into Excel files in the form of formulas or the supplied Excel template with VBA support.
Results of the project
Due to the implemented logic of generating Regulatory Energy Offers, users have more time to optimize power and prices within the Operation Preparation submission, which can lead not only to higher activation success rates, but also to a higher comfort level for the users themselves prior to closing or changing intraday Operation Preparation. Sub-sections of the system are regularly and automatically updated by the system - contracts, evaluations, etc. In the same way, the user has the possibility to actively request all data via the MMS system.
The selected set of data is then sent by the system to the terminals of the production units, fully automatically according to the specifications of the terminal supplier. The system is therefore indirectly involved in the production control itself.
Benefits
Who is our client
EOP (Elektrárny Opatovice)
Elektrárny Opatovice, a.s. (EOP) is one of the leading energy suppliers in the Czech Republic. The core business of EOP is the production and sale of electricity and heat in a cogeneration process. The heat supply system of the Opatovice power plant consists of approximately 319 km of heat networks, from which more than 63 thousand households in the Hradec Králové-Pardubice-Chrudim region and other state and business entities in the region receive heat.
EOP is owned by Energetický a průmyslový holding, a.s. (EPH) through its subsidiary EP Energy, a.s. EPH is a leading Central European energy group, operating mainly in the Czech Republic but also in Slovakia, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Hungary, France and Poland. It comprises more than 70 companies in the coal mining, heat and power generation from conventional and renewable sources, including the distribution of these energies, as well as the trading and supply of electricity and gas to end customers and, last but not least, the gas segment.
The existing process for entering and evaluating day trading data was outdated and prone to human error. Following the changes made and the introduction of Lancelot, the efficiency and accuracy of these processes improved, allowing users to enter data more easily and to have better access to preparation and evaluation data. As expected, the lower error rate has subsequently translated into better trading results on DM."
Head of Electricity Trading
