About BPL resources

send

Physical flexibility instruments that are suitable for solving system imbalances can be used for the BPL. Shippers that are interested in offering flexibility on the BPL can contact GTS to register their flexibility instrument. The requirements for a flexibility instrument are that the instrument must be firmly available, must fit one of the three lead times and must be able to deliver gas in blocks of 150 MWh/hr. A flexibility instrument can either deliver gas, take in gas or a combination of both. The 3 different lead times of the capacity instruments are: fast- available after 30 minutes, medium -available after 90 minute and slow -available after 150 minutes.
By registering the flexibility instrument, GTS is able to incorporate the bids into the GTS IT systems. Each day, shippers with approved flexibility instruments can place bids on the BPL. GTS is the only counterparty for these bids.

Shippers need to place bids eight hours or more before the hour of delivery, so that GTS can publish the volumes and prices being offered. Bids may be altered or withdrawn up to eight hours before the hour of delivery, with the exception of reserved capacities. Prices may be modified up to four hours before the hour of delivery.

GTS will call bids hourly taking into account the status of the SBS (see section on zones and SBS).

When will the BPL be called?
15 minutes past the hour GTS looks at the end of hour prediction of the SBS

When the end of hour prediction arrives at the light green zone;
When the end of hour prediction arrives at the orange or red zone;

How will the volume to be called be determined?
The calculation of the volume that will be called is as follows:

Difference of end of hour prediction of the SBS and border of dark green zone
Volume from earlier called BPL that will flow in this hour is subtracted
Apply the Call Correction Factor (under standard conditions this is 100%)
Round up to a multiple of the block size of 150 MWh/hr

Which Bid Price Ladder offers will be used and what is the marginal price?

When the end of hour prediction arrives at the light green zone all the different lead times means are called, slow, medium and fast means.
When the end of hour prediction arrives at the orange or red zone only the fast means are called (i.e. the means where the flow can start the next hour).
The means will then be sorted based on price until the needed volume is reached.
The price of the final block will become the marginal price. The marginal price is used for ALL BPL transactions; for the settlement to the offerers, causers and helpers.
Where two or more bids have the same price, GTS will call the oldest bid.

In the example 9 blocks are called with slow, medium and fast lead times and with a marginal price of € 9 per MWh.

Information exchange after BPL call
Before 30 min after the hour GTS informs all involved parties, offerers of the Bid Price Ladder, helpers and causers.
The offerers of the Bid Price Ladder call which are involved will receive information containing quantity, time (which hour) and place.
Parties that have a POS in the same direction as the SBS in the call hour are considered the “causers”. The causers will receive information which part of the total Bid Price Ladder call will be allocated directly in their POS at what hour. In the example in the next 3 hours the Bid Price Ladder will be pro rata allocated to the causers.
Parties that have a POS in the opposite direction as the SBS in the hour of call are considered the “helpers”. The helpers receive information that their POS is set to 0 in the hour of call.

Click here for a enlargement of the picture above.

The gas involved in this reset is redistributed pro rata over the causers, at the same marginal price. This last phenomenon is called assistance gas, and is meant as an extra incentive (causers) or reward (helpers) for shippers to balance the system.

Shippers need to place bids at least eight hours before the hour of delivery, so that GTS can publish the volumes and prices being offered. Bids may be altered or withdrawn up to eight hours before the hour of delivery, with the exception of reserved capacities. Prices may be modified up to four hours before the hour of delivery.