Regional Coordinator for Security of Transmission Operators in Southeast Europe opened in Thessaloniki

The official opening ceremony of the SEleNe CC Regional Coordination Center was attended by the Minister of Environment and Energy of Greece Costas Skrekas, the Secretary General for Energy and Natural Resources Alexandra Sduku, representatives of the shareholder operators and the regulatory authorities of the co-founding countries.

The Southeast Electricity Network Coordination Center, the regional coordinator for security of electricity transmission operators in the EU member states of Southeast Europe, based in Thessaloniki, Greece, started providing services to its members, including the Electricity System Operator, on July 1 this year. The electricity transmission operators of Bulgaria (ESO EAD), Greece (IPTO), Italy (Terna) and Romania (Transelectrica) established the company on May 22, 2020.

At the opening of the SEleNe CC Regional Coordination Center, Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Costas Screkas said: “The launch of the Regional Center marks the beginning of a new era for energy security and co-operation in the region. This is an important step in bringing our region in line with European energy transition policies, as well as in maintaining the stability of the electricity transmission network in view of the growing share of RES capacity in the European energy mix. "

The electricity system operator is actively participating in the dialogue for the establishment of a Regional Coordination Center for the security of the electricity networks of the countries of Southeast Europe.

"The past months of record high temperatures in the region and the need to ensure increased electricity consumption in Southeast Europe have proven the benefits of the Center for Security of Electricity Supply," said the executive director of the Electricity System Operator Angelin Tsachev at the opening of the center. In his welcome address, the Executive Director of ESO emphasized the key role of the Regional Coordination Center for the successful continuation of the process of unification of the electricity markets in Europe in order to achieve competitive levels of electricity prices for all consumers. "The geographical connectivity of our countries requires responsible and synchronized management of electricity transmission systems, which achieves the work of the Center," added Angelin Tsachev.

Greek CEO of the IPTO transmission operator Manos Manusakis said at the opening: "Today we celebrate the fruits of close cooperation between the operators of the four neighboring countries. After many years of efforts, we have achieved our common goal of establishing a Regional Center for the Security of Electricity Operators in Southeast Europe. "

The representative of the Italian electricity transmission operator Terna Francesco Del Pizzo emphasized: “Terna is happy that Italy is jointly hosting the launch of SEleNe, which brings together the best technical competencies of system operators from Bulgaria, Greece and Romania to improve security of supply in the Southeast region. . "

Adrian Suta, Director of Regulatory Affairs for Romanian Transmission Operator Transelectrica, said: "Regional cooperation in the energy sector is a key factor in achieving the climate goals with which Europe is so committed. With the establishment of SΕleΝe CC as a focal point for South East Europe, the region is now ready to deliver more benefits to the electricity market and society as a whole. "

The Southeast Electricity Network Coordination Center, the regional coordinator for the security of electricity transmission operators in the EU member states of Southeast Europe, covers two regions for calculating transmission capacities - Greece-Italy and Southeast Europe. The aim of the regional coordinator is to improve the security of the electricity transmission networks in South East Europe. The services provided by the Regional Security Coordinator contribute to improving the exchange of information between electricity transmission operators and guaranteeing the supply of electricity. The necessary activities have been launched to expand the activities of the Southeast Electricity Network Coordination Center - SEleNe CC with its transformation into a Regional Coordination Center (RCC) from July 1, 2022.