The National Electricity Regulatory Authority (ANRE) is preparing a redesign of the National Electric Transmission Network Code (CRENT) to integrate technological innovations. This project, estimated at 2.8 million dirhams, will be entrusted to an expert firm for a complete update of the technical elements of the code, taking into account the current and future needs of the Moroccan energy sector.
The ANRE emphasizes in the specifications that this revision will include technical requirements for production units, distinguishing the capacities of conventional units from those of non-conventional ones. The goal is to ensure that performance requirements meet ANRE standards while anticipating rapid technological developments, such as new converter-based technologies (HVDC, FACTS, BESS), which require an appropriate regulatory framework for their integration without disrupting network stability.
This redesign aims to modernize connection criteria for advanced and renewable technologies and to harmonize standards for all production units. An assessment of the impacts of these technologies, such as battery storage systems and reactive power regulation devices (FACTS), will be conducted to define performance criteria contributing to network stability.
In addition to these adaptations, the revision of the CRENT incorporates several key missions:
1. **Modernization of technical requirements**: adapting connection criteria for modern and renewable technologies, and integrating specific requirements for storage and reactive regulation systems.
2. **Improvement of network reliability**: analyzing current code standards and proposing adjustments based on international simulations, assessing risks and costs to ensure safety while minimizing societal costs.
3. **Integration of best international practices**: comparing international standards for renewable energies and emerging technologies, adapting recognized standard models from pioneering regions like Australia.
4. **Adaptation to new technological challenges**: studying the impacts of converter-based technologies on network stability, anticipating specific requirements for a future high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link between Southern and Central Morocco.
The consultant will need to provide detailed recommendations for adjusting the CRENT based on technological developments, future regulations, and international practices. This redesign thus aims to strengthen the national network while allowing for a gradual integration of tomorrow’s technologies into Morocco’s electrical infrastructure.