Today, ACER releases its Opinion on the National Resource Adequacy Assessment of Estonia. This is the first ACER Opinion on a National Resource Adequacy Assessment (NRAA).
What is a resource adequacy assessment?
The European Resource Adequacy Assessment (ERAA) identifies potential concerns about electricity resource adequacy across the EU and provides an objective framework for assessing the need for additional national measures to ensure security of electricity supply.
Member States can complement the European analysis with their own national assessment (NRAA). While national assessments follow the ERAA’s methodology, they may introduce changes in terms of, for example:
- new information as it becomes available since the latest ERAA;
- national specificities that are not reflected in ERAA.
Why an ACER Opinion?
When a national assessment identifies new adequacy concerns, and the Member State informs ACER, ACER must issue an Opinion on the differences between the national and European assessments.
What are ACER’s main findings?
- The Estonian NRAA includes elements that represent a positive benchmark for future national assessments by:
- Modelling the relevant neighbouring countries.
- Using ERAA 2023 as a starting point to ensure consistency and comparability between the two assessments.
- The differences with some of the ERAA 2023 assumptions are justified, as the Estonian NRAA:
- Incorporates new information about interconnector commissioning and renewable energy development.
- Better reflects regional specificities.
- Includes a sensitivity analysis to illustrate the role of oil shale-based generation at national level.
- However, the application of the updated assumptions is inconsistent throughout the assessment, as their impact on the market has not been evaluated.
What are the next steps?
ACER recommends the Estonian Transmission System Operator to assess how the new assumptions may impact the market and amend the NRAA as necessary.
