In practice, the effective use of flexibility in industry often fails not because of a lack of potential, but because of the lack of technical links between production and the energy market. To close this gap, we have developed a new level of integration together with RIZM: end-to-end flexibility trading thanks to interconnected and fully automated processes. The combination of RIZM’s ‘EnergyOS’ and our trading infrastructure creates a comprehensive systemic solution that decouples industrial flexibility optimisation from manual intervention and transforms it into a secure, automated process.
In many projects, we see that energy-intensive companies have considerable flexibility. This includes, for example, electrode boilers, storage technologies and thermal processes. However, this potential often remains untapped because concerns about negative effects on ongoing operations prevail. The challenge for us as project managers was therefore to implement a solution that fully protects the operational integrity of the plant while enabling direct access to short-term energy markets. Our approach is based on a digital end-to-end process that maps operational conditions in real time.
Data Basis via Digital Twin and EnergyOS
The technical basis is the precise recording of the plant status. We rely on the RIZM EnergyOS platform, which acts as an interface to the process control level. Instead of relying on static schedules, the system identifies the available flexibility directly in on-site operation.
Central to this architecture are the so-called ‘flexibility bands’. The system quantifies the available capacities and calculates automated bands that define the scope for load changes. These bands reflect the actual operational freedom and strictly take into account all operational constraints of the plant.
We therefore do not work with theoretical assumptions, but with validated data that ensures that product quality and process stability are maintained at all times. The specialist portal BigData-Insider offers a comprehensive overview (German only) of the technical functionality and benefits of digital twins in energy management based on various scenarios.
Implementation of Cross-Market Optimisation
Once the flexibility bands have been defined in the system, they are transferred to Entelios’ trading algorithms. We take this live data and feed it directly into our optimisation logic. This enables us to perform genuine cross-market optimisation across all relevant trading venues: day-ahead, intraday and control reserve.
Our in-house developed software uses AI-based analysis of price signals to determine the optimal trading concept for the respective point in time. The decisive advantage of this deep integration lies in the speed of response. Since we operate within the bands specified by RIZM, we can maximise returns across markets without having to make enquiries in production. The system operates autonomously within safety-critical limits. The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) provides a comprehensive overview of how pricing and trading mechanisms work in these markets on its SMARD platform.
Focus On Operational Safety and Cost Efficiency
From a project perspective, this approach is a decisive step towards sustainably reducing energy costs for industrial plants. By monetising the inherent flexibility, we are unlocking additional value from existing assets.
However, the key factor for acceptance in the industry is risk-free operation. Since the “operational reality” is mapped in real time, it is impossible for trading to clash with production targets. This enables us to achieve holistically usable industrial flexibility that meets the requirements of both the grid operator and the plant manager. This form of flexibility optimisation is also becoming increasingly relevant from a regulatory perspective. In its paper on the electricity market design of the future (German only), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy emphasises the need for flexible loads to ensure system stability. With the solution presented here, companies are technically capable of meeting these requirements and benefiting from them economically.
Conclusion: Process-Secure Implementation
The partnership between RIZM and Entelios shows how a modern, data-driven energy industry works in practice. We have transformed technical complexity into a robust process.
In the coming weeks, we will publish further details on the technical specifications and integration options. We also invite you to visit us at E-World. There, we can demonstrate how the solution can be integrated into your existing infrastructure using concrete examples.
