The energy transition calls for smart collaboration between technology, the market and policy. It is precisely at this intersection that Elise van Ginkel operates in her role as a senior business consultant at EDSN. In this role, she is closely involved with GOPACS and deals with issues relating to congestion management, market developments and the design of future energy systems. What makes her position unique is that she does not work for a single network operator, but for all network operators collectively. “This makes it easier for me to look beyond organisational boundaries. My focus is very much on anticipation: not waiting until a need arises, but thinking ahead together about what will be needed in the future.”
“It is precisely because I am involved with both EDSN and GOPACS that I can spot emerging trends at an early stage and understand what they mean for processes, systems and market players,” says Van Ginkel. At EDSN, she works on issues relating to the installation register and congestion management. In doing so, she acts as the link between business and IT. “I look at developments in legislation and regulations, at what’s happening with network operators, and at what that means for EDSN and GOPACS.”
Van Ginkel has now been involved with GOPACS for three years and has seen the platform change significantly during that time. “When I started, GOPACS was much more of a stand-alone platform run by a relatively small group of people. It has now really taken on a key role in congestion management in the Netherlands.” According to her, it is not only the role of GOPACS that has changed, but the organisation itself. With a new board and the transition from a foundation to a private limited company, the management has become more professional. At the same time, the complexity is increasing. “There are more interests, more requirements and more parties expecting something from GOPACS. That calls for clear priorities and effective coordination.” This development makes the work more interesting in substance, but also presents challenges. “A lot is being asked of us at once. That is precisely when it is important to stay focused on the common goal we are all working towards.”
Elise is a strategic adviser in the energy sector with expertise in congestion management, flexibility markets and energy legislation. As Manager of Strategic Development at GOPACS, she works to develop the energy market by linking strategy, policy and legislation to practical implementation. Drawing on her experience at GOPACS, EDSN, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and Magnus Energy, she brings together market players, the government and network operators to accelerate the energy transition.
A key theme in Van Ginkel’s work is unlocking additional flexible capacity. According to her, MLOEA’s in particular offer great potential. This could enable parties that do not currently participate in congestion management to potentially contribute to resolving grid congestion in the future. “There really is additional flexibility there,” says Van Ginkel. “If you organise that properly, you can make more capacity available for congestion management.” She is also looking at Closed Systems: local energy systems managed by their own ‘grid’ operator. According to her, this is still very much under development. “We are still investigating exactly how these parties can participate in congestion management via the GOPACS platform. They organise many processes themselves and very little is currently recorded centrally. That makes it challenging, but also interesting.”
In addition to operational issues, GOPACS’s strategic positioning also plays a role. What exactly is the platform’s mandate? What role should GOPACS play within the energy landscape? According to Van Ginkel, these are important questions in a rapidly changing market. Congestion management remains a complex issue for many parties. “If you don’t work in the electricity sector on a day-to-day basis, congestion management is quite complex. This is because the congestion market and wholesale markets are often active simultaneously. For flexibility providers, this raises the question of where deployment yields the greatest return. “Ideally, these markets will eventually be better aligned, and that choice will largely be made automatically. Participation must become much simpler, particularly for parties for whom energy is not their core business.”
The key message Van Ginkel wishes to convey to both market participants and network operators is that cooperation is essential. “We need each other to make congestion management possible. Network operators need flexibility, but it must also be workable and attractive for market participants.” In her view, it would help if the parties were to see things from each other’s perspective more often. “We should put ourselves in each other’s shoes more often. Understand where the bottlenecks lie and what the other party needs to move forward.” At the same time, she advocates for more scope to experiment. Not everything needs to be fully worked out in advance. “Sometimes you just have to get started. Less talk, more action. Learning by doing is really part and parcel of this phase of the market.” According to Van Ginkel, growing pains are inevitable in an energy system that is undergoing rapid change. “But it is precisely by working together, learning and improving that we will ultimately find the best way forward.”
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The people behind GOPACS
In ‘The people behind GOPACS’, we shine a spotlight on the professionals behind the platform. They share their views on developments in the congestion market and offer a unique insight into how GOPACS is contributing to a future-proof energy system.
