How Terna balances energy supply and demand in real-time on the national electricity grid.
Dispatching is the real-time management of energy flows on the electricity grid, ensuring that at every moment production exactly equals consumption. In Italy, it is managed by Terna, the national transmission grid operator.
How balancing works
Why it is necessary
Electricity cannot be stored in large quantities on the grid. If production exceeds consumption, grid frequency rises; if lower, it drops. Deviations from the nominal frequency of 50 Hz can cause equipment damage and blackouts. Dispatching maintains this balance second by second.
The Dispatching Services Market (MSD)
To balance the grid, Terna purchases flexibility services on the MSD: primary, secondary, and tertiary reserves. Producers who can rapidly increase or decrease production are compensated for this availability.
The articles published on this website are for informational and educational purposes only. Some content may have been written with the support of artificial intelligence tools, based on official sources and industry data. IPGS ENERGY does not guarantee completeness or the absence of errors.