{"id":9098,"date":"2024-09-09T11:46:46","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T09:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T16:49:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T14:49:39","slug":"tertiary-control-power-trl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/","title":{"rendered":"Tertiary control power (TRL)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tertiary control power (TRL)<\/strong>, also known as minute reserve, is an essential component of the electricity market and is used to balance out longer-term grid fluctuations. It is activated when electricity generation and consumption diverge over an extended period (usually more than 15 minutes).   <\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#Activation-occurs-only-after-15-minutes\" >Activation occurs only after 15 minutes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#From-gas-fired-power-plants-to-virtual-power-plants\" >From gas-fired power plants to virtual power plants<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#Weekly-Auction-Based-on-the-Merit-Order-List\" >Weekly Auction Based on the Merit Order List<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#Compensation-consisting-of-a-capacity-charge-and-a-generation-charge\" >Compensation consisting of a capacity charge and a generation charge<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#15-minutes-instead-of-seconds-the-difference-between-PRL-and-SRL\" >15 minutes instead of seconds: the difference between PRL and SRL<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#Lower-requirements-a-wider-range-of-providers\" >Lower requirements, a wider range of providers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#Conclusion-indispensable-in-cases-of-long-term-imbalances\" >Conclusion: indispensable in cases of long-term imbalances<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#Frequently-Asked-Questions-FAQ\" >Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#What-is-tertiary-control-power-TRL\" >What is tertiary control power (TRL)?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#How-quickly-does-TRL-need-to-be-available\" >How quickly does TRL need to be available?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#Who-can-provide-tertiary-control-power\" >Who can provide tertiary control power?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/tertiary-control-power-trl\/#What-is-the-difference-between-TRL-and-the-reserve-of-minutes\" >What is the difference between TRL and the reserve of minutes?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Activation-occurs-only-after-15-minutes\"><\/span>Activation occurs only after 15 minutes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tertiary control (TRL)<\/strong> is used when the power grid becomes unbalanced over an extended period of time. The deviation of the grid frequency from 50 hertz serves as an indicator of whether there is too much or too little electricity in the grid. In contrast to faster types of control energy such as <a title=\"Primary Control Power (PRL)\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/m-n-o-p\/primary-control-reserve-prl\/\"><u>primary control power (PRL)<\/u><\/a> or <a title=\"Secondary Control Reserve (SRL)\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/secondary-control-reserve-srl\/\"><u>secondary control power (SRL)<\/u><\/a> , TRL does not need to be fully available until after 15 minutes. This makes it possible to incorporate a wide variety of facilities, including biogas plants, hydroelectric power plants, and combined heat and power (CHP) plants.   <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From-gas-fired-power-plants-to-virtual-power-plants\"><\/span>From gas-fired power plants to virtual power plants<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tertiary control power<\/strong> is increasingly <strong>being provided<\/strong> by flexible power generators. In addition to conventional power plants, such as <strong>gas-fired power plants<\/strong> and <strong>pumped-storage power plants<\/strong>, smaller decentralized facilities and <a title=\"Commercial and industrial storage solutions\" href=\" commercial-and-industrial-storage-solutions=\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"\/gewerbe-und-industriespeicherloesungen\/\"><u>energy storage systems<\/u><\/a> can provide TRL. Electricity consumers can also provide negative TRL by adjusting their consumption patterns. Participation requires prequalification of the facility. Smaller facilities often join together in virtual power plants to provide a sufficient amount of control energy as a group.    <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Weekly-Auction-Based-on-the-Merit-Order-List\"><\/span>Weekly Auction Based on the Merit Order List<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Trading in tertiary control power<\/strong> takes place through auctions, which are typically held weekly. Suppliers must set both a capacity price and an energy price in advance. The bids are sorted by price in what is known as a <strong>merit-order list<\/strong>. The grid operator selects the lowest-cost suppliers one by one until the entire demand is met. Billing is based on <strong>the pay-as-bid method<\/strong>.    <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Compensation-consisting-of-a-capacity-charge-and-a-generation-charge\"><\/span>Compensation consisting of a capacity charge and a generation charge<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>compensation for tertiary control power<\/strong> consists of a <strong>capacity charge<\/strong> and an <strong>energy charge<\/strong>. The capacity price is paid for maintaining the capacity to provide tertiary control energy, regardless of whether the energy is actually drawn upon. The energy price is payable when the plant actually feeds control energy into the grid.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"15-minutes-instead-of-seconds-the-difference-between-PRL-and-SRL\"><\/span>15 minutes instead of seconds: the difference between PRL and SRL<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest difference lies in <strong>response time<\/strong> and <strong>deployment time<\/strong>: Primary control power (PRL) is activated within seconds and serves to immediately compensate for frequency deviations. Secondary control power (SRL) responds within minutes and stabilizes the grid during short-term imbalances. TRL, on the other hand, takes 15 minutes to take effect but remains active for a longer period of time.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lower-requirements-a-wider-range-of-providers\"><\/span>Lower requirements, a wider range of providers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to the longer availability period, a wide variety of energy sources\u2014such as <strong>biogas plants, hydroelectric power plants, and combined heat and power (CHP) plants<\/strong> \u2014can participate in the TRL. Despite lower revenues compared to the PRL and SRL, providers benefit from less demanding technical requirements and more flexible integration into the <a title=\"Balancing Power Market\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wiki\/q-r-s-t\/control-energy-stabilizing-the-power-grid-in-the-event-of-fluctuations\/\"><u>balancing energy market<\/u><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion-indispensable-in-cases-of-long-term-imbalances\"><\/span>Conclusion: indispensable in cases of long-term imbalances<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tertiary control power<\/strong> plays a crucial role in the energy market, particularly in the event of longer-term imbalances between electricity generation and consumption. By combining renewable energy sources, battery storage, and smart control systems, participation in the <a title=\"TRL Market\" href=\"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/flexibility-marketing\/\"><u>Tertiary Regulation (TRL) market<\/u><\/a> can be optimized. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently-Asked-Questions-FAQ\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-is-tertiary-control-power-TRL\"><\/span><strong>What is tertiary control power (TRL)?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TRL, also known as the minute reserve, balances out long-term imbalances between electricity generation and consumption and must be available within 15 minutes.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-quickly-does-TRL-need-to-be-available\"><\/span><strong>How quickly does TRL need to be available?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TRL must be fully available within 15 minutes at the latest, which is significantly slower than PRL (seconds) and SRL (minutes).<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who-can-provide-tertiary-control-power\"><\/span><strong>Who can provide tertiary control power?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to traditional gas-fired and pumped-storage power plants, there are also decentralized facilities, battery storage systems, and consumers with flexible load profiles, often grouped together in virtual power plants.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-is-the-difference-between-TRL-and-the-reserve-of-minutes\"><\/span><strong>What is the difference between TRL and the reserve of minutes?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TRL and &#8220;Minutenreserve&#8221; refer to the same product\u2014&#8221;Minutenreserve&#8221; is the older term, while TRL is the term commonly used today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tertiary control power (TRL), also known as minute reserve, is an essential component of the electricity market and is used to balance out longer-term grid fluctuations. It is activated when electricity generation and consumption diverge over an extended period (usually more than 15 minutes). Activation occurs only after 15 minutes Tertiary control (TRL) is used [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_type":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[103,102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-q-r-s-t","category-wiki"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9098"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12723,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9098\/revisions\/12723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/be-storaged.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}