1. 18th APUA Congress
Power Network Interconnections and Development of Regional Markets in Maghreb and Europe 
Mr. Djebrouni Mohamed Mrs. Bennadji Nassia
ANGOLA, 2-6 June 2014

2. OUTLINE
Introduction
Economic and Technical Benefits of Electrical Interconnections.
Current status of the Maghreb grid.
Increased Energy Exchange between Interconnected Countries.
Projets for Interconnecting the Maghreb and the European grids
Electricity Interconnections as Integration Factors 
Regional Electricity Market in Maghreb Countries
Conclusion and Recommendation

3. Introduction
Implementing interconnections linking up national grids helps to create regional power exchange markets. Countries which need electricity to meet the demand of their growing economies thus buy electricity at a lesser cost.
A regional energy exchange market would thus be profitable to exporters who could sell their excess electricity generated, and to importers who could buy it at a lesser price.
Un système électrique est planifié et exploité d’une manière à ce que les utilisateurs ne soient pas affectés lors des éventuelles perturbations.
Toutefois, le système électrique peut faire l’objet de perturbations bien plus graves, telles que pannes multiples et simultanées pouvant apparaître en cascade et qui sont susceptibles d’engendrer un effondrement régional, voire national des réseaux d’un ou plusieurs pays interconnectés. A cet effet, des dispositifs automatiques sont mis en place pour sauvegarder les réseaux électriques et limiter les conséquences des incidents majeurs

4. Economic and Technical Benefits of Electrical Interconnections
Increasing the availability and reliability of the grid and reducing the probability of supply losses;
Providing mutual assistance in case of emergency or incident;
Increasing the dynamic stability as the interconnected system is more robust than the isolated system. It ensures a greater stability as the interconnected system is more powerful than the isolated system. It helps to ensure a greater stability after serious disruptions or incidents and to improve frequency and voltage quality (increase in the system’s power frequency);
Providing opportunities to improve periodic maintenance programmes;
Optimizing the operating of generation facilities by decreasing reserves to meet demands.

5. Economic and Technical Benefits of Electrical Interconnections (cont’d)
Economic Benefits:
Grid interconnections
promote the development of exchanges and energy purchase or sale opportunities;
foster savings on investment through the economy of scale effect on generation units and reduced spinning reserve generated by each grid;
help to develop generation facilities in places where generation costs are less expensive;
generate a financial return on transit cost for countries.
En général, un plan de défense est basé sur des actions préventives et correctives qui visent à maîtriser les phénomènes susceptibles de détériorer les performances d’un système électrique et de provoquer une panne d’électricité générale et incontrôlée.
Elles visent à :
Préserver les d’interconnexions avec le réseau ONE, compte tenu de leur apport pour compenser les déficits induits par les pertes de moyens de production et leur intérêt pour le maintien de la fréquence à la valeur de consigne de 50Hz;
- Eviter le déclenchement en cascade des lignes jugées critiques pour le fonctionnement du système électrique.

6. Environmental Benefits:
Economic and Technical Benefits of Electrical Interconnections (cont’d)
Environmental Benefits:
Reduced emissions thanks to a more effective power generation;
Use of renewable energy sources;
Increased possibility to choose the best locations to set up generation facilities.
Si, en dépit des actions préventives, le réseau ne peut pas être maintenu interconnecté, il sera nécessaire de mettre en œuvre les dispositifs de contrôle automatique qui Visent essentiellement à:
Éviter l’effondrement total ou d’une partie du réseau, à travers la sollicitation du plan de délestage automatique par Minimum de Fréquence.
Circonscrire la partie du réseau déficitaire des autres parties saines à travers le fonctionnement des relais d’îlotage régional .

7. Current Status of the Maghreb Grid
Morocco-Spain Interconnection:
2 cables Melloussa - Puerto de la cruz ( )
Morocco
Tunisia
Libya
Algeria
Spain
Algeria -Tunisia Interconnection: Aouinet - Tajerouin 90 kV. (1954 )
El Kala - Fernana 90 kV. (1952 )
Aouinet - Tajerouin 220 kV. (1980)
Djbel Onk- Metlaoui 150 kV. (1984 )
One 400kV-line Chefia- Jendouba in go-live stage
Algeria-Morocco Interconnection:
Ghazaouet – Oujda: 220 kV. (1988 )
Tlemcen – Oujda: 220 kV. (1992 )
2 lines connecting Hassi Ameur – Bourdim: 400 kV. ( )
Tunisia-Lybia Interconnection:(2002) implemented for synchronization problems, it supplies small plots in Libya
Mednine (Tunisia) - Abu Kumash (Libya): double-circuit transmission line
Tataouine (Tunisia) - Roweis (Libya)

8. Current Status of the Maghreb Grid (cont’d)
Under normal operating conditions the Maghreb (ONE, SONELGAZ and STEG) and European grids are interconnected and operate synchronously.
Energy exchanges between the various grids will be made either on a scheduled or an unscheduled basis.
Energy compensations will be bilateral and on contract basis or as per agreements entered into by the various couples of partners: Spain- Morocco, Morocco – Algeria and Algeria - Tunisia.
Involvement of SONELGAZ into the Iberian power market as external operator to the Iberian market (OMEL) since July 2001.
SONELGAZ undertook its first energy sale operations on the Spanish market in June-October These operations are an interesting exchange experience between Southern and Northern Mediterranean countries.

9. Increased Energy Exchange between Algeria and Tunisia
The annual capacity of the lines interconnecting Algeria and Tunisia is estimated at 3150 GWh while the average annual exchange during that period was of 216 GWh, which is equivalent to a share of the use of interconnections not exceeding 7 percent.

10. Increased Energy Exchange between Algeria and Morocco
The annual capacity of the lines interconnecting Algeria and Morocco is estimated at 3500 GWh in period while the average annual exchange during that period was of 235 GWh, which is equivalent to a share of the use of interconnections not exceeding 7 percent.
With the going live of the 400kV-lines, the average annual capacity reached GWh as from 2010, the average exchange over the period being of 1370GWh which represented an 8-percent use rate.

11. Despite the relatively low level of exchange compared with what is noticed at the level of interconnections across the world, the interconnection between Maghreb countries helped to capitalize experiences in managing interconnections (bilateral agreements, reserve management, back-up system, operating rules).
Liberalizing the electricity sector introduced an amendment to rules governing commercial transactions. Interconnections facilitate cross-border exchanges by getting several regional markets involved (Maghreb-Maghreb and Maghreb-Europe). Sonelgaz initiated studies for electricity export to the European market.
These studies concern the feasibility of direct submarine electrical interconnections linking up Algeria and Spain, and Algeria and Italy. .

12. Projects for Interconnecting the Maghreb and the European Grids
Morocco
Tunisia
Libya
Algeria
Spain
Italy
Algeria signed two energy cooperation agreements with Spain on the one hand and Italy on the other to conduct with each of these countries the feasibility studies required to implement direct electrical interconnections between Algeria and Spain on the one hand, and Algeria and Italy on the other hand.

13. Electricity Interconnections as Integration Factors
The reforms initiated by Maghreb countries and the level of energy requirements in the South-western Mediterranean region can only buttress the desire to establish Maghreb-Europe electricity market.
This market will not be achievable without a reinforcement of the internal electricity grids in each Maghreb country, of interconnections between Maghreb countries and between Maghreb and Europe.
Interconnections which are one of the key elements for developing regional power markets foster convergence towards a single block resting on the integration of these regional markets.

14. Regional Electricity Market in Maghreb Countries
For Maghreb countries with an interconnection and exchange tradition, the issue of establishing a Maghreb electricity market was raised long ago within Comelec.
In Algeria
The applicable law is adapted to the establishment of a regional market with the opening of generation and marketing activities to private investment and competition
Legislative texts: all the electricity law enforcement texts enacted in 2002, are finalized and published
Eligibility of clients and third parties’ access to the grid: regulations finalized and published
In Morocco: An act reforming the sector has been in the making for years. It would set up two parallel markets a “free market” and a “regulated market”
In Tunisia: Apart from the introduction of private power generation from 1996, many segments of the electricity industry are under STEG’s control. Currently no change has been planned into the organization or shareholding of the electrical system.

15. Conclusion and recommendation
Based on the existing links between the various countries and on the will expressed to develop commercial exchanges at all levels, it is necessary to:
Develop crossborder interconnection capacities ensuring convergence in market prices
Ensure coordination between grid managers
Defining the level of eligibility, third parties’ access to the grid
Promote a concerted regulation and provide an incentive for pooled investments in capacities in order to better harness complementarities existing between countries.

16. Conclusion and recommendation
The interconnection generated the desired benefits by improving the stability of the network and by improving the reliability of the grid and backups. However, the benefits of energy exchange and of the reduction in the spinning reserve remain indefinite.
The interest in a common electricity market, owing to the economic and operational benefits of the market. But this calls for sweeping legal changes while providing the investments required to expand the generation and transmission systems.
Integrating electricity interconnection projects contributes to energy security and strengthened relations between people and nations, and thus contributes to economic and social development.

17. Conclusion and recommandation
Develop and adopt policies seeking to improve the performance of the electricity markets in each country so as to pave the way for creating an energy market in the region, and take social conditions in each country into account by adopting arrangements to support the poor and needy.
Harness the expertise available in the neighbouring European region in the electricity interconnection field to contribute to technical capacity building, knowledge transfer and the development of policies and plans to protect networks.
Set up arrangements to ensure fair and transparent pricing to provide leeway and the required legal and regulatory frameworks.

18. Thank you for your attention