What is the interruptible load programme and what purpose does it serve?

The Public Transport Network Defense Plan includes "all curative, ultimate and automatic actions, intended to counter phenomena whose speed of appearance and development excludes any possibility of human intervention". These actions are of 5 types. The 5th type of action provides for the participation of defense service providers and active participation in demand (namely the interruptibility device) before the activation of automatic load shedding.

The interruptibility device therefore makes it possible to manage critical operating situations of the electrical system.

Under this programme, RTE can interrupt one or several industrial consumers in less than 5 seconds according to the following criteria :

• automated simultaneous activation of all sites, on a basis of supply-demand balance;
• manual activation by dispatching, site-to-site, according to local needs.

The cumulated interruptible capacity must not exceed 1200 MW, and must be covered by a group of sites with an interruptible capacity greater than 10 MW.
Each year, RTE launches a call for tenders to select the candidates with whom it will conclude an interruptibility contract.

Who is eligible for this programme?

Any aggregation of consumption sites connected to the public transmission or distribution grid, with a contract power greater than 10 MW and with a process allowing for interruption of its consumption (falling below a power limit) in less than 5 seconds, is eligible for the interruptible load programme.

What is technical approval?

In addition to the interruptible load contract, a winner of the tender must also be given technical approval before the start of the contract. This approval is granted by RTE if the following technical conditions are fulfilled:

• the site meets the technical characteristics required to implement the interruptible load service (power level, interruption delays, etc.).
• the site has the equipment necessary to implement the interruptible load service (telecommunication links with RTE).
• the site has successfully passed an actual interruption test.

Sites that meet the following cumulative conditions are automatically approved for the interruptibility system for the year 2025:

• The candidate has an interruptibility contract for this site for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024 and still in force on December 1, 2024;
• any faulty activation of the interruptible capacity of this site during 2024 was followed by an activation test recognized as compliant by RTE;
• the ceiling power proposed for this site by the candidate is greater than or equal to the ceiling power mentioned in the Interruptibility Contract valid for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024.

Who can participate in an interruptible load call for tenders?

Each year, RTE launches a call for tenders to select the candidates with whom it will conclude an interruptibility contract.

From October 21st to November 8th, RTE launched a consultation to select the candidates with whom an interruptibility contract will be signed for a one-year period from January 1st  to December 31st 2025. A total of 9 HTB sites representing 878 MW has been contracted through this call for tenders.

The principal elements of the call for tenders 2025

• Tender regulation
• Approval procedure (Appendix 2 of the tender regulation)
• Contract template
• Specifications
• Appendix 1 of the Specifications
• Appendix 2 of the Specifications
• Appendix 3 of the Specifications
• Files for the submission of technical tenders
• Example file for the new PIC.INDISPO
• CRE deliberation of October 28th 2021 approving the defense service for active participation in demand
• CRE deliberation of October 26th, 2023, approving the updated on the defense service providers and active participation in demand.

How to participate ?

To apply, you must log in to bravosolution (https://rte-france.bravosolution.com/fr/login.html). If you do not have an identifier, you can create one from the bravosolution home page or contact us on +33 1 46 09 56 72

Contacts

If you have any questions, you can contact your usual account manager.