Flexibility hub – flexibility provision by decentralised assets connected to the distribution grid

EU-SysFlex H2020 project aims at developing and testing innovative tools for the integration of high levels (above 50%) of renewable energy sources (RES) in the pan-European Electricity system. Those high levels of RES will increase the need for new sources of flexibility to support the system services, since there will be a decreasing number of conventional power plants connected to the grid, traditionally the main providers of these services. In this context, this study describes the Flexibility Hub (FlexHub) concept, part of the EU-SysFlex Portuguese demonstrator, consisting of a platform of tools managed by the distribution system operator to facilitate market-based flexibility provision to the transmission system operator (TSO) using resources connected to the distribution system. The FlexHub includes the provision of active power flexibility to the TSO (with an extended restoration reserve market concept), an essential tool to help the TSO balancing the grid, being a replicable concept that will become increasingly relevant in a future with a high share of decentralised assets connected to the distribution grids.