Power market bidding zone splitting study

Artelys is specialized in mathematical optimization, quantitative decision-making, and scientific modeling. Relying on its high level of expertise in quantitative methods, Artelys’ consultants deliver efficient solutions to complex business problems. They provide services to numerous industries: Energy, Transportation, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, etc. Artelys is an international company with offices in France (Paris, Lyon, Nantes), Canada (Montréal), Belgium (Brussels), Spain (Madrid) and the USA (Chicago).   

Artelys offers several products and services, including software solutions (mathematical optimization software, business specific customized and custom solutions), studies, consulting, training, etc. In particular, Artelys consultants deliver operational solutions that perform security analysis of power grids, i.e. simulations that check that the power grid can be safely operated on the short term (e.g. one day ahead). It involves performing a massive number of simulations named load flows that evaluate the distribution of power flows on the grid from generation to loads. 

The European power market is based on bidding zones in which the power price is uniform. It relies on the hypothesis that no congestion is linked to exchanges within bidding zones. Initially, most bidding zones were defined along national boundaries, in line with the historical development of the European grid with strong national grids and weak interconnections. However, the grid has evolved with internal congestions appearing because of the location of renewable energy and with reinforced interconnections. As a result, a review of bidding zone has been conducted and is likely to propose the splitting of some zones that show heavy internal connections.  

The intern will assess the impact of the most likely zone splitting. For this purpose, using PowSyBl, the intern will perform the grid computation needed to generate the Flow-Based domain of the core region with the original zones and the split zones. This domain limits the possible exchanges between zones. The intern will then use Artelys Crystal Super Grid to assess the effect on prices and welfare distribution on each bidding zone.  

The candidate must be in his/her last year of master’s degree in computer science and/or applied mathematics and/or power systems and/or operations research. 

Required skills: 

• Power systems or energy systems economics 

Valued skills: 

• Programming in Python 

• Notions of linear algebra 

• Fluent in French