Pre-dispatch procedure

Prepared by: AEMO Operational Support

Document ref: SO_OP_3704

Version: 17

Effective date: 3 June 2024

Status: FINAL

Approved for distribution and use by:

Approved by: Michael Gatt

Title: Chief Operations Officer

Date: 30/05/2024

aemo.com.au
New South Wales | Queensland | South Australia | Victoria | Australian Capital Territory | Tasmania | Western Australia

Australian Energy Market Operator Ltd ABN 94 072 010 327

Pre-dispatch procedure

Contents

Current version release details 2

1. Introduction 3
1.1. Purpose and application 3
1.2. Definitions and interpretation 3
1.3. Related documents 4

2. Pre-dispatch Overview 4
2.1. Pre-dispatch timing 5

3. Inputs 5
3.1. Participant Inputs 5
3.2. AEMO inputs 6
3.3. SCADA 7

4. Outputs 7
4.1. Aggregate data 7
4.2. Unit Specific data 8

5. Management of Pre-dispatch 9
5.1. Demand forecast accuracy 9
5.2. AWEFS and ASEFS forecast accuracy 9
5.3. Constraint formulation 9
5.4. Short notice outages 9
5.5. Unplanned outages 10
5.6. Rebidding 10

Version release history 11

Figures
Figure 1: Pre-dispatch process………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Current version release details

Version Effective date Summary of changes

17 3 June 2024 Changes to reflect the National Electricity Amendment (Integrating energy storage systems
into the NEM) Rule 2021 No.13 and Rule 2023 No. 2, including to incorporate references to
Integrated Resource Providers and bidirectional units.

Note: There is a full version history at the end of this document.

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Pre-dispatch procedure

1. Introduction
1.1. Purpose and application
The purpose of this Pre-dispatch Procedure is to provide an overview of the pre-dispatch
process in terms of the inputs to the process and the outputs provided by the process. It does
not attempt to describe in detail the functional design of the pre-dispatch process nor does it
provide information on the 5-minute pre-dispatch process.

This Pre-dispatch Procedure is a power system operating procedure under clause 4.10.1 of the
National Electricity Rules (NER). If there is any inconsistency between this Procedure and the
NER, the NER will prevail to the extent of that inconsistency.

This Procedure applies to applies to AEMO and all Registered Participants.

1.2. Definitions and interpretation

1.2.1. Glossary
Terms defined in the National Electricity Law and the NER have the same meanings in this
Procedure unless otherwise specified in the table below.

Defined terms in the NER are intended to be identified in this Procedure by italicising them, but
failure to italicise a defined term does not affect its meaning.

The words, phrases and abbreviations in the table below have the meanings set out opposite
them when used in this Procedure.

Term Definition

ASEFS Australian Solar Energy Forecasting System

AWEFS Australian Wind Energy Forecasting System

EMMS Electricity Market Management System

EMS Energy Management System

FCAS Frequency Control Ancillary Service

Max Avail The maximum availability in a dispatch bid

NER National Electricity Rules

NEM National Electricity Market

NEMDE NEM Dispatch Engine

NSP Network Service Provider

UIGF Unconstrained Intermittent Generation Forecast

1.2.2. Interpretation
This Procedure is subject to the principles of interpretation set out in Schedule 2 of the National
Electricity Law.

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Pre-dispatch procedure

1.3. Related documents

Reference Title Location

SO_OP_371 Load https://www.aemo.com.au/-

0 Forecastin /media/files/electricity/nem/security_and_reliability/power_system_ops/procedures/so_
g op_3710-load-forecasting.pdf
National
Electricity
Rules

2. Pre-dispatch Overview
Pre-dispatch has two major purposes:

• To provide Market Participants with information about scheduled resource loading,

ancillary service unit response and pricing to assist them to make informed decisions
about market participation.

• To assist AEMO to fulfil its power system responsibilities in accordance with the NER, in
relation to system reliability and security.

This information is calculated by pre-dispatch and published to the market in the form of 30-
minute period schedules of forecast scheduled resource loading, forecast ancillary service unit
response and forecast regional prices.

Figure 1 below illustrates the pre-dispatch process in context of the inputs and outputs. The
major inputs to the pre-dispatch process can be divided into two categories:

• Participant Inputs

o Registration data

o Energy & FCAS dispatch bids

• AEMO Inputs

o Demand forecast

o FCAS requirements

o Network constraints

o Wind generation forecasts from AWEFS

o Solar generation forecast from ASEFS

The major outputs of the pre-dispatch process are split into two categories

• Aggregate data

o Pre-dispatch solution data

o Regional data

o Network data

• Scheduled resource specific data

o Scheduled resource unit energy dispatch data

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Pre-dispatch procedure

o Ancillary service unit dispatch data

Each of these inputs and outputs is detailed in the sections below.

Figure 1: Pre-dispatch process

2.1. Pre-dispatch timing

As indicated in NER 3.8.20, AEMO must prepare and publish a pre-dispatch schedule in
accordance with the spot market operations timetable. Currently AEMO runs pre-dispatch every
half hour, on the half hour for each 30-minute period up to and including the last 30-minute
period of the last trading day for which dispatch bid and market ancillary service bid band
prices have closed. As changes to dispatch bid and market ancillary service bid band prices for
the next trading day close at 1230 hours EST, at that time AEMO publishes pre-dispatch for all
30-minute periods up to the end of the next trading day.

3. Inputs
3.1. Participant Inputs
3.1.1. Registration data
Registration data is standing data that is initially submitted by the Market Participant and
subsequently authorised by AEMO as part of the registration process for participation of
scheduled resources or ancillary service units in energy and FCAS markets.

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Pre-dispatch procedure

3.1.2. Energy and FCAS bids

Energy dispatch bid data is the price band and MW quantity information relating to a Market
Participant’s scheduled resource submitted in accordance with NER 3.8. This data is used by
pre-dispatch to forecast the MW loading for each scheduled resource at the end of each 30-
minute period of the pre-dispatch period.

FCAS or market ancillary service bid data is the market ancillary service quantity, pricing and
boundaries of operation information relating to a Market Participant’s scheduled resource or
ancillary service unit which is submitted in accordance with NER 3.8. This data is used by pre-
dispatch to forecast the dispatch quantity of each FCAS for each scheduled resource or
ancillary service unit with a valid market ancillary service bid, for each 30-minute period of the
pre-dispatch period.

3.2. AEMO inputs

3.2.1. Forecast demand
In accordance with NER 4.9.1 AEMO must produce the most probable (50% probability of
exceedance) energy demand for each region for each 30-minute period. These forecasts are
based on half-hourly historical metering records and expected weather patterns.

AEMO will regularly review the accuracy of the pre-dispatch demand forecast to ensure if
reflects the actual demand trend. For details on load forecasting methodology refer to
SO_OP_3710 (Load Forecasting).

3.2.2. Ancillary service requirements

In accordance with NER 3.8.11 AEMO is required to enter the regional market ancillary service
requirements for each FCAS for each 30-minute period. This is implemented in the form of
FCAS type constraints. For details relating to calculation of FCAS requirements refer to AEMO’s
Constraint Implementation Guidelines.

3.2.3. Inter-regional and intra-regional Limits

Each interconnector has a defined flow direction, with positive interconnector flows out of the
defined “From Region” into the “To Region” with the limits on the scheduled flow of energy over
an interconnector defined for each direction.

Limits on the operation of dispatchable units and interconnectors are implemented in the
NEMDE algorithm using constraint equations. These constraints may represent “system normal”
type limits or may be invoked for planned outages of transmission equipment as advised by the
relevant NSPs.

Constraints for planned outages may include both energy and FCAS requirements. For a full
description on constraints refer to AEMO’s Constraint Implementation Guidelines.

NSPs or AEMO may also define certain intra-regional limits to control flows within a region.
AEMO will use constraint equations to impose energy flow limits on intra-connectors.

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Pre-dispatch procedure

3.2.4. AWEFS and ASEFS Forecasts

The Australian Wind Energy Forecasting System (AWEFS) and the Australian Solar Energy
Forecasting System (ASEFS) provide a forecast of available capacity, known as the
unconstrained intermittent generation forecast (UIGF) for semi scheduled wind farms and solar
farms respectively. They are also used to calculate the forecasts for significant non-scheduled
wind and solar generation. The available capacity, or availability, used by the NEMDE process is
the lower of the UIGF and Max Avail.

3.3. SCADA
The following SCADA data is captured by the NEMDE process from the NEM SCADA database
and is applied to the first 30-minute period calculation only, of the current pre-dispatch
schedule.

• Scheduled resource data

o Initial loading

• Network data

o Initial interconnector flow

o EMS limits

o Other network quantities.

4. Outputs
Pre-dispatch information is released to the market in two stages:

• Output results calculated from each run of the Pre-dispatch process are released after
that Pre-dispatch run. Pre-dispatch data of an aggregate nature (both inputs and
outputs) is published to the whole market, with data relating to a specific Market
Participant only published to that participant; and
• Pre-dispatch results are published to the whole market after the end of the trading day
to which that data applies.
Details of the different data provided in each category can be found in the AEMO document,
Pre-dispatch Process Description, available from the AEMO website.

4.1. Aggregate data

4.1.1. Pre-dispatch solution data
Provides an indication of the status of the pre-dispatch solution, whether the solution was
successful or not and whether the solution is complete.

4.1.2. Region data

Provides the following information for each region for each 30-minute period within the pre-
dispatch period:

• Forecast spot prices and ancillary service prices

• Forecast spot price sensitivities to pre-defined demand changes

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Pre-dispatch procedure

• Interconnector flow sensitivities to pre-defined demand changes

• Forecast demand
• Daily energy availability or profiled daily energy availability for scheduled bidirectional
units
• UIGF (semi-scheduled generating units)
• Available generation (scheduled generating units, scheduled bidirectional units and
semi-scheduled generating units)
• Dispatchable generation (scheduled generating units, scheduled bidirectional units and
semi-scheduled generating units)
• Available load (scheduled load)
• Dispatchable load (scheduled load)
• Wholesale Demand Response – Initial MW
• Wholesale Demand Response – Available
• Wholesale Demand Response - Dispatched
• Deficit/surplus generation
• Net interchange
• FCAS dispatch
• FCAS local dispatch
• FCAS global and local requirements

4.1.3. Network data

Provides the following information for each 30-minute period within the pre-dispatch period:

• Interconnector initial metered flow (MW)

• Interconnector target flow (MW)
• Interconnector flow export and import limits (MW)
• Constraint setting the interconnector flow export and import limits
• Interconnector flow losses (MW)
• Interconnector flow marginal loss factor
• Intra-regional network flow limit (MW)
• Intra-regional network flow limit status
• Constraint marginal value ($/MW)
• Constraint violation degree (MW)

4.2. Unit Specific data

For each scheduled resource and (where applicable) ancillary service unit the following
information is provided for each 30-minute period within the pre-dispatch period:

• Initial metered loading (MW)

• Initial AGC status
• Energy market availability (MW)

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Pre-dispatch procedure

• Energy market target (MW)

• Energy market ramp up and down rates (MW/minute)
• UIGF (semi-scheduled generating units)
• Semi Dispatch Cap flag (semi-scheduled generating units only)
• Energy storage (MWh) (scheduled bidirectional units only)
• FCAS raise response enabled (MW) (for each service)
• FCAS lower response (enabled MW) (for each service)
• FCAS availability (MW)
• FCAS available/trapped/stranded flags (for each service)

5. Management of Pre-dispatch
AEMO will review the results of pre-dispatch on a regular basis to ensure the accuracy and
validity of the results. Accuracy and validity may be affected by a number of issues as described
in the following sections.

5.1. Demand forecast accuracy

Demand forecast accuracy is highly dependent on weather forecast accuracy and customer
behaviour.

AEMO will regularly review the accuracy of regional demand forecasts to ensure they reflect the
actual demand trend. If the forecast error for a region is greater than a threshold limit for greater
than two 30-minute periods AEMO may submit a revised forecast for that region.

5.2. AWEFS and ASEFS forecast accuracy

AWEFS and ASEFS forecast wind and solar generation based on weather information and real
time data. Plant availability and down regulation of intermittent generation may affect the
accuracy of wind and solar generation forecasts. AEMO will monitor AWEFS and ASEFS
forecasts to ensure acceptable levels of accuracy are maintained.

5.3. Constraint formulation

The formulation used for the pre-dispatch calculation may differ from the dispatch formulation
due to the number of assumptions that may need to be made relating to future system
conditions. This may result in pre-dispatch having a dissimilar outcome to dispatch. AEMO has a
process in place to improve the pre-dispatch formulation of constraints where significant errors
are observed.

5.4. Short notice outages

NSPs may submit short notice outages that require AEMO to apply a constraint at any time
during the pre-dispatch or dispatch period. NSPs may also cancel planned outages at short
notice. AEMO will invoke/revoke any relevant constraints as soon as is practicable after AEMO
receives notification of a new or cancelled outage.

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Pre-dispatch procedure

5.5. Unplanned outages

Scheduled resources or network elements may fail at any time. The impact this may have on
pre-dispatch is related to the size of the scheduled resource or location of the network element.
AEMO will invoke any necessary constraints as soon as is practicable after AEMO is aware of
the outage.

5.6. Rebidding
Rebidding by Market Participants may have a significant impact on the accuracy of pre-
dispatch. AEMO has no control over the level of rebidding.

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Pre-dispatch procedure

Version release history

Version Effective Date Summary of Changes

16 07/08/2023 Inclusion of bid energy Max Avail for semi-scheduled generating units.
Conversion to new template and minor drafting updates for consistency and accuracy.

15 24/10/2021 Updated section 7.1.2 to reflect changes made for wholesale demand response. Updated
terminology for five-minute settlement.

14 05/11/2016 Table 2.
13 30/05/2016 Updated Section 6.2.2.

12 01/05/2014 Transferred content to new template.

Updated Section 6.2.2.
Changes made to reflect incorporation of ASEFS forecasts into market systems processes.

11 01/09/2010 Changes to section 4.1 and disclaimer added.

10 01/07/2009 Change to AEMO document.

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