ENTSO-EENTSO-E is proudly celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the ENTSO-E Awareness System (EAS). This date not only marks a milestone for the European awareness system but it is also a reflection of the remarkable achievements the System has accomplished over the past 10 years.
Since going live in 2013, EAS has been the starting point of various successes for the ENTSO-E network. From the large-scale development of cross-border interconnections, to enhancing security of operations across borders and enabling European TSOs to operate safely – EAS’s role in providing a platform for real-time monitoring of the state of transmission systems has been a pivotal asset in delivering ENTSO-E’s mission to keep the lights on in Europe.
The EAS represents our mission and addresses a real need of the European power system. The EAS was launched following the worst electrical incident in recent history, which led to a grid-split on 4 November 2006, causing a power outage across three European areas between Germany and the Netherlands. At the time, discussions between the European Commission and ENTSO-E led to the decision to mandate the development of a European awareness system, now a joint endeavour of all ENTSO-E’s TSO members.
Through its prevention and resolution role in the past 10 years, the EAS has enabled ENTSO-E members to quickly respond to disturbances in the system, preparing them to react swiftly and assist areas under stress during critical events - therefore guaranteeing constant and seamless connection across Europe.
This decade of unwavering commitment towards ensuring security of electricity supply across Europe, reflected by grid stability and the provision of a reliable supply across the region, has been made possible by a robust and coordinated pan-European collaboration between TSOs throughout the years. Today, this close regional co-ordination and pan-European collaboration is just as vital in the energy transition.
Since 2013, EAS’s journey has been marked by several highlights, including:
- Coverage: EAS centralises real-time information on the European grid and is used by operators from 41 TSOs in Europe, including the Ukrainian TSO, Ukrenergo and the British TSO, NGESO
- Reliability: EAS has consistently monitored the continental European power system to ensure a stable supply of electricity, serving as a lifeline to European homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure
- Innovation: EAS constantly embraces technological advancements, pioneering solutions to improve grid security across Europe. The System is in constant evolution, introducing new features every year, such as improvements in the Generation map in 2021, the inclusion of a security plan in 2022, or the integration of the Wide Area Monitoring System (WAMS) and the collection of Ukrenergo system state data both in 2023
- Pan-European collaboration: the resilience of our ENTSO-E TSO network and their active exchange of real-time operational information has been key to the success of the Awareness System
As we reflect on the success of the past 10 years, we express our sincere gratitude to our members and we look forward to ENTSO-E Awareness System’s future successes, with electricity security at the forefront of our commitment to keep Europe’s lights on, for many more years to come.
The 10-year anniversary of EAS has also been highlighted in a video recorded during Core Team EAS’s meeting hosted by Svenska kraftnät.