Efficient procurement of extended reserve

AUFLS are the blocks of load that are automatically disconnected during large under-frequency events in the New Zealand electrical system.

The changes will significantly improve the efficiency and reliability of the extended reserve regime, because the load with best relative suitability would be selected for the service. The Authority has appointed NZX Limited as the extended reserve manager to progress the development of the selection methodology and the creation of the procurement schedule.

The Authority will organise a series of three interactive workshops with North Island distributors and consumers with load directly connected to the grid to gather feedback on a number of topics. After these workshops, the extended reserve manager will consult on the methodology and the procurement schedule and the system operator will consult on the technical requirements schedule before finalising them.

Although AUFLS is currently the only type of extended reserve product, the Authority has adopted the more generic term (ie, extended reserve) so as to not limit the introduction of other products and services in the future.