This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New energy trading centre
05/10/2001
The provision of a dependable energy supply for Scotland's consumers is the aim of the new Scottish and Southern Energy Trading Centre that opened today.
Speaking at the opening in Perthshire, the First Minister Henry McLeish praised the steps taken by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) to meet the needs imposed by new electricity trading conditions.
SSE's Energy Trading Centre has been set up to meet the needs imposed by new electricity trading conditions. It has two desks alongside each other - one for real time energy traders, and a control room for SSE's hydro power stations (the company's thermal assets will follow shortly). As soon as a power station fails, the generation control room can advise the energy traders, who immediately review the options for purchasing the electricity needed to make up the balance. In the case of gas fired powered stations, selling or redirecting the gas which is now no longer required.
Officially opening the centre, the First Minister said:
"A constant supply of energy is something which we all take for granted. But it is of course vital to all of us as consumers, and to the health of Scotland's economy, that the provision and security of this supply is maintained.
"In a changing market, this is an enormously complicated challenge. Scotland's major energy companies are to be applauded for the steps that they have taken to continue to meet these challenges head on.
"Scottish and Southern Energy's new Energy Trading Centre, which I am delighted to officially open today, is a prime example of this flexible approach. I congratulate warmly all involved in its development."
BACKGROUND
"Energy Trading" is responsible for purchasing and selling all the electricity and gas required by the SSE Group to meet the demands of its 5 million energy customers and 6,200MW of thermal generation assets. It is also responsible for deciding when SSE's 7200MW of generation capacity - around 70 power stations - should run. Its primary function is to operate this portfolio of wholesale contracts and generation assets at lowest cost and risk for SSE. The value of this trading is circa £2.5bn per year making it one of the core functions within the SSE Group.