Last updated on : 2009/04/01
To properly carry out its market monitoring duty, CRE periodically collects information relating to the decisions of players on the French wholesale markets. This information is collected from market players, intrastructure operators or trading platform operators.
When deemed necessary, CRE may complete this information by collecting all necessary information from the companies participating in the electricity and natural gas market. It may also hear any person that it considers likely to contribute to its information.
Injections and withdrawals on the transmission system
Market monitoring requires knowledge of market players’ activity in the different sectors of the wholesale market and the use of their interconnection capacities.
> CRE collects from RTE hourly nominations for each Balancing Responsible Entity for each segment of the market (production, delivery to consumption sites, Notification of Block Exchanges, VPPs nominations, flows at the interconnections, etc.).
Use of power plants
Correct use of the French generation units is essential for competitive price formation, particularly on the day-ahead market. Installed power plant operation must be consistent with the technical and economic constraints that apply to the producers.
> CRE collects the notifications made by producers to RTE within the framework of the programming/balancing mechanism:
Generation programmes (generation scheduling);
Technical generation constraints;
Primary/secondary reserve constraints;
Offers on the Balancing mechanism.
> CRE collects from the main producers the elements used for the valuation of each generation group’s production on the day-ahead market.
> CRE collects from the main producers the explanatory elements for the unavailability of their plants.
Generation transparency
Since 15 November 2006, the French Union Française de l’Electricité has made available to market players data relating to electricity generation organized per fuel type, via the RTE web site.
CRE considers that monitoring the validity of the data published, in particular forecast data, is essential to the good operation of the French market.
> CRE collects from RTE data published by each producer aggregated by fuel type, relating to forecasts of short, medium and long term generation capacity availability (i.e. from day-ahead to three years).
Cross border transmission capacities
CRE monitors the acquisition of interconnection capacities made by market players.
> CRE collects from RTE:
The results of interconnection capacity auctions
The capacities exchanged on secondary markets
Transactions and orders on the French wholesale market
Transaction monitoring requires knowledge of the transactions entered into by wholesale market players as well as their orders. In order to reduce the workload associated with this collection for market players, CRE favours collection of transactions from negotiation intermediaries.
CRE also monitors the correct procedure of negotiations on the EPEX Spot Auction platform which plays a major role in the formation of day-ahead prices.
> CRE collects information from Powernext and the five main intermediaries active on the French energy market (GFI, ICAP, Spectron, TFS, Tullet Prebon) relating to transactions for delivery in France entered into on their platforms. This collection concerns intraday, day-ahead and forward markets. It concerns all negotiated products regardless of whether their settlement is physical or financial.
> CRE also collects orders transmitted to platforms that make quotations by fixing.
> CRE collects information relating to the proper operation of negotiations on the EPEX Spot Auction platform, particularly the elasticity of the price in response to variations of supply and demand, and the delays by members in the submission of order books.
Invitations to tender organized by grid operators to cover their losses
The losses sales market is a major outlet for French electricity wholesale market players. It is essential to ensure that this sector of the market is competitive and that prices are consistent with those observed on the French wholesale market negotiation platforms.
> CRE collects the following from RTE and ERDF:
- Offers made by wholesale market participants in the framework of invitations to tender organised by the two grid operators
- Offers accepted
Virtual Power Plant (VPPs) auctions held by EDF
VPPs are a major source of supply for French wholesale market players. These auctions are held by a single seller. It is essential to ensure that this sector of the market is competitive and that auctions are not manipulated.
> CRE collects the results of VPP auctions (capacity acquired by each buyer, price fixed by auctions).
Injections and withdrawals from the Transmission System
Market monitoring requires knowledge of the activity of players in different sectors of the wholesale market and use of their transmission and storage capacities.
> CRE collects daily assignments from each originator from GRTGaz and TIGF for each segment of the market (production, exchanges to PEGs, storage flow, border exchanges, flow to PITD, delivery to consumption sites, etc.).
Transactions and orders on the French wholesale market
Transaction monitoring requires knowledge of the transactions entered into by wholesale market players as well as their orders. In order to reduce the workload associated with this collection for market players, CRE favours collection of transactions from brokers.
> CRE collects information relating to transactions for delivery in France entered into via the five main brokers active on the French energy market (GFI, ICAP, Spectron, TFS, Tullet Prebon). This collection concerns intraday, day-ahead and forward transactions. It concerns all negotiated products regardless of whether their settlement is physical or financial.