Article 156

Each TSO shall ensure the availability of at least its FCR obligations agreed between all TSOs of the same synchronous area in accordance with Articles 153, 163, 173 and 174. All TSOs of a synchronous area shall determine, at least on an annual basis, the size of the K-factor of the synchronous area, taking into account at least the following factors: the reserve capacity on FCR divided by the maximum steady-state frequency deviation; the auto-control of generation; the self-regulation of load, taking into account the contribution in accordance with Articles 27 and 28 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1388; the frequency response of HVDC interconnectors referred to in Article 172; and the LFSM and FSM activation in accordance with Articles 13 and 15 of Regulation (EU) 2016/631. All TSOs of a synchronous area consisting of more than one LFC area shall, in the synchronous area operational agreement, determine the shares of the K-factor for each LFC area, which shall be based on at least: the initial FCR obligations; auto-control of generation; the self-regulation of load; frequency coupling via HVDC between synchronous areas; exchange of FCR. An FCR provider shall guarantee the continuous availability of FCR, with the exception of a forced outage of a FCR providing unit, during the period of time in which it is obliged to provide FCR. Each FCR provider shall inform its reserve connecting TSO, as soon as possible, about any changes in the actual availability of its FCR providing unit and/or its FCR providing group, in whole or in part, relevant for the results of prequalification. Each TSO shall ensure, or shall require its FCR providers to ensure that the loss of a FCR providing unit does not endanger the operational security by: limiting the share of the FCR provided per FCR providing unit to 5 % of the reserve capacity of FCR required for each of the whole CE and Nordic synchronous areas; excluding the FCR provided by the unit defining the reference incident of the synchronous area from the dimensioning process for GB, IE/NI and Nordic synchronous areas; and replacing the FCR which is made unavailable due to a forced outage or the unavailability of an FCR providing unit or FCR providing group as soon as technically possible and in accordance with the conditions that shall be defined by the reserve connecting TSO. An FCR providing unit or FCR providing group with an energy reservoir that does not limit its capability to provide FCR shall activate its FCR for as long as the frequency deviation persists. For the GB and IE/NI synchronous areas, a FCR providing unit or FCR providing group with an energy reservoir that does not limit its capability to provide FCR shall activate its FCR until it activates its FRR or for the period specified in the synchronous area operational agreement. A FCR providing unit or FCR providing group with an energy reservoir that limits its capability to provide FCR shall activate its FCR for as long as the frequency deviation persists, unless its energy reservoir is exhausted in either the positive or negative direction. For the GB and IE/NI synchronous areas, a FCR providing unit or FCR providing group with an energy reservoir that limits its capability to provide FCR shall activate its FCR until it activates its FRR or for the period specified in the synchronous area operational agreement. For the CE and Nordic synchronous areas, each FCR provider shall ensure that the FCR from its FCR providing units or groups with limited energy reservoirs are continuously available during normal state. For the CE and Nordic synchronous areas, as of triggering the alert state and during the alert state, each FCR provider shall ensure that its FCR providing units or groups with limited energy reservoirs are able to fully activate FCR continuously for a time period to be defined pursuant to paragraphs 10 and 11. Where no period has been determined pursuant to paragraphs 10 and 11, each FCR provider shall ensure that its FCR providing units or groups with limited energy reservoirs are able to fully activate FCR continuously for at least 15 minutes or, in case of frequency deviations that are smaller than a frequency deviation requiring full FCR activation, for an equivalent length of time, or for a period defined by each TSO, which shall not be greater than 30 or smaller than 15 minutes. For the CE and Nordic synchronous areas, all TSOs shall develop a proposal concerning the minimum activation period to be ensured by FCR providers. The period determined shall not be greater than 30 or smaller than 15 minutes. The proposal shall take full account of the results of the cost-benefit analysis conducted pursuant to paragraph 11. By 6 months after entry into force of this regulation, the TSOs of the CE and Nordic synchronous areas shall propose assumptions and methodology for a cost-benefit analysis to be conducted, in order to assess the time period required for FCR providing units or groups with limited energy reservoirs to remain available during alert state. By 12 months after approval of the assumptions and methodology by all regulatory authorities of the concerned region, the TSOs of the CE and Nordic synchronous areas shall submit the results of their cost-benefit analysis to the concerned regulatory authorities, suggesting a time period which shall not be greater than 30 or smaller than 15 minutes. The cost-benefit analysis shall take into account at least: experiences gathered with different timeframes and shares of emerging technologies in different LFC blocks; the impact of a defined time period on the total cost of FCR reserves in the synchronous area; the impact of a defined time period on system stability risks, in particular through prolonged or repeated frequency events; the impact on system stability risks and total cost of FCR in case of increasing total volume of FCR; the impact of technological developments on costs of availability periods for FCR from its FCR providing units or groups with limited energy reservoirs. The FCR provider shall specify the limitations of the energy reservoir of its FCR providing units or FCR providing groups in the prequalification process in accordance with Article 155. A FCR provider using FCR providing units or FCR providing group with an energy reservoir that limits their capability to provide FCR shall ensure the recovery of the energy reservoirs in the positive or negative directions in accordance with the following criteria: for the GB and IE/NI synchronous areas, the FCR provider shall use the methods specified in the synchronous area operational agreement; for the CE and Nordic synchronous areas, the FCR provider shall ensure the recovery of the energy reservoirs as soon as possible, within 2 hours after the end of the alert state.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-04 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.