Practical optimization of linepack usage and intraday operations at GRTgaz

GRTgaz operates, maintains and develops a 32,000+ km-long natural gas transmission system in France. In the last few years, GRTgaz has experienced challenging evolutions in the regulations and in the behaviours of its shippers. This has changed the way of operating the network and lead to a need for intraday decision help tools, helping operators to perform an optimization of operations on a real-time basis. In this context, GRTgaz and the CRIGEN, GDF SUEZ main research center for gas and renewable energies have developed a tool, called HELP (Hourly Enhanced LinePack) that builds hourly schedules of flows and linepack usage. This report highlights the main features of this software and how optimization of operations is performed at GRTgaz on an hourly basis.