Extension of Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC) to Greece – Go-live planned for 15 December 2020

A further step towards an integrated European power market.

For release on 16.11.2020 at 12.00 CET

Following the implementation of the Italian Borders Working Table (IBWT) project with the Multi-Regional Coupling (MRC) held in February 2015 and the ongoing successful operations for more than five (5) years - now within the SDAC - the launch of coupling operations of the Greek bidding zone in the IBWT regional framework is the next step towards the achievement of the single day-ahead European electricity market, which is expected to reach its completion during 2021 with the integration of MRC and 4MMC coupling projects.

The Greece – Italy (GR-IT) market coupling extension was launched in January 2019 with the initiative of IBWT parties and refers to the implementation of a day-ahead market coupling mechanism with implicit capacity allocation on the GR-IT border via the HVDC interconnector.

HEnEx, the designated single NEMO in Greece and full PCR member since 2018, will be included in the market coupling operational processes as a new operational NEMO. The new Day Ahead Market in Greece,  successfully launched on November 1st 2020, applies the PCR Euphemia algorithm and the relevant timings and operational procedures - fully compatible with the MRC/IBWT/SDAC timings and operational procedures – as approved by RAE, the Greek National Regulatory Authority (NRA).

In this context, the expected Go-live for the extension of the MRC/IBWT/SDAC to the GR-IT border, already approved by the Single Day-Ahead Coupling Joint Steering Committee (SDAC JSC), is scheduled for December 15th 2020 (1st trading date) subject to the positive confirmation by SDAC OPSCOM on the finalization of the testing activities and the relevant approvals by the Greek and Italian NRAs.