About damping

In the new balancing regime it is required of Programmaverantwoordelijken (PV’s) that they use a “Damping Formula” to calculate their required entry based on their predicted exit. This formula is based on the network characteristics and is dependant on the total amount of gas transported. The amount of damping varies for each hour and the hourly pattern is different for each day because of two formula parameters which are different for each gasday. The formula and the parameters wil be published on the GTS website. Each morning at 09:00 GTS will determine the values of the two parameters for the next gasday and communicate these to the market.

The use of the parameters is as follows:

  1. The goal of changing the alpha-parameter is to change the amount and time-delay of the damping in such a way that the linepack in the GTS system is optimal throughout the day and that the amount of linepack available to the market as Green Zone is as large as possible.
  2. The goal of changing the beta parameter is to reduce the hourly variance in entry flows further, complementary to the damping already applied, in order to make it easier for the market to enter gas into the system. Because application of the beta parameter reduces the size of the Green Zone, the beta parameter can only be applied (be greater than zero) when there is sufficient linepack.
     

The file “ Example Damping Formula” contains a calculation example of the damping formula. Users can enter their own values for the exit flow and the resulting required entry flow is then determined. The file " use of the damping formula" gives an explanation on how to use the spreadsheet.
 

The file “ Parameters” contains data concerning the values of the alpha and beta parameters as these would have been in 2008. It should be noted that GTS at the moment has no experience with the determination of the beta parameter and that the way the value is determined is subject to change.

The amount of linepack that becomes available due to the use of the damping formula is divided over a number of zones. These zones are used to determine how the bid ladder is deployed to balance the system. The file “ Zones” included below contain data concerning the borders of the various zones as these would have been determined for the year 2008, from inside to outside:

  • From Donker Groene Zone (Dark Green Zone) to Licht Groene Zone (Light Green Zone)
  • From Licht Groene Zone (Light Green Zone) to Oranje Zone (Orange Zone)
  • From Oranje Zone (Orange Zone) to Rode Zone (Red Zone)


Two sets of zones are included in the file: one where GTS has used the beta to further flatten the flow and one where GTS has not used the beta at all.