The BM Start-Up Service gives National Grid on-the-day access to additional generation BMUs that would not otherwise have run, and which could not be made available in Balancing Mechanism timescales due to their technical characteristics and associated lead-times. The service contains two elements, BMU Start-Up and Hot Standby.

For more detailed information on BM Start-Up please view the information in our Balancing Services Contracts Information Pack.

BM Start Up Contract Review

Over the last couple of years the industry including National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) has moved to a world where transparency is playing a bigger role in facilitating competition. There have been clear benefits in this area, and moving forward from here, there is a big drive from Europe for overall market transparency.  For a market/service to be properly functioning then it needs timely and meaningful signals, where the greater transparency that the new BM Start Up terms expresses are a step closer.

The Commercial Balancing Services Group (CBSG) on 14 December 2010, launched the consultation process asking for industry input.  Following internal and external discussions, the generic terms have been changed to reflect these developments and the changes listed below are scheduled for the new BM Start Up Agreement with a go live date of 6 December 2011.

After industry consultation the following BM Start Up improvements have been agreed:

1   Publish BMU name (via SONAR)
2   Publish Information on Advance Syncs (SONAR)
3   Publish Alpha / Beta Prices (via Contracts and Settlements web site)
4   Increase Frequency of Price Change to BD +2 

The terms are presented as clause 5 and schedule for insertion into a Commercial Services Agreement and will be implemented for use from here forward.

Please contact either your Account Manager or Amanda Lewis of our Contracts team (+44 (0)1926 653577, amanda.lewis@uk.ngrid.com), at your earliest convenience to discuss the potential to provide this service.

Information on the utilisation of BM Start-Up Contracts is available through SONAR (System Operator Notification & Reporting System).  SONAR is a web based bulletin board for the provision of near to real time data on information and actions taken outside the Balancing Mechanism with respect to system operation.