BRATISLAVA, September 19, (WEBNOVINY) — High electricity flows supposedly endanger the Slovak electricity transmission system. An unnamed source from the sector informed SITA news agency that the high deficit in the south of Europe covered by sources from the north as well as high volumes of electricity production from renewable energy sources, especially in northern Germany with many wind power plants, poses a problem. Spokesman for the national electricity transmission system operator Slovenska Elektrizacna Prenosova Sustava, a.s. (SEPS) Igor Gallo declined to comment on the information that German wind power plants afflict Slovak transmission lines. “We have no such information,“ he responded.
Nevertheless, SEPS has confirmed heightened difference between electricity flows stipulated in trade agreements and real physical volumes transmitted through cross-border lines. “Significant increase in the volume of transmitted electricity flows via electricity transmission lines that our company operates was so serious that we were forced to raise the alert status and adopt measures to get the situation under control with safety and reliability of electricity supplies across Slovakia and observation of international standards being the overriding priority,” said Gallo.
Larger volumes of electricity are transmitted via lines which have to put up with the least resistance to electric current, i.e. via transmission systems with higher penetration of transmission lines. “There are not enough transmission lines, or sufficient transmission capacity for emergency cases of high power generation of wind energy plant, between the north and south of Germany,” stated the unnamed source adding that the resistance to transmission of electricity generated from renewable energy sources, mostly in northern Germany, is so high that electricity is transmitted parallel via electricity transmission networks in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia that put up weaker resistance. “Our transmission system is small and so these swings cause substantial problems and we only have limited possibilities to deal with them,” added the unnamed source.
“There is no reason to panic. Slovakia’s electricity transmission system is reliable and safe for now. Out system is interconnected with the European power grid and Slovakia is not isolated from the rest of Europe. The problems could occur in the event of outage of some of lines outside our territory, which may lead to overloading of the transmission system,” said Gallo.
He went on to say that the situation in electricity transmission is continually deteriorating in the long term, especially because of the uncertain and unpredictable weather, generation deficit in southern Europe, as well as extensive construction of renewable energy sources, mainly wind and photovoltaic power plants largely dependent on weather.
Gallo opines that boosting the cross-border profile between Slovakia and Hungary could partly help solve the situation. Construction of two new transmission lines has been a subject of talks for several years but the countries have not agreed yet. “Construction of long-distance electricity transmission lines meets with opposition of the public as well as lack of financial sources that are collected from end users outside the respective territory. Last international interconnection of Slovakia was put into operation in the direction of Poland in August 1998, which can be blamed on administrative complexity, reluctance in achieving a consensus on international level and lack of finances for construction of transmission lines,” said Gallo. He underscored that if Slovakia’s not developing new transmission lines may lead to the cutoff of electrical power, so-called blackout, in the future. “Failed observance of safety criteria that apply to transmission systems may lead to vast power cuts and immense damages,” concluded Gallo.
SITA