Electronic Dispatch and Logging – EDL

What does EDL do?

Participants in the UK electricity Balancing Mechanism require a Control Point (CP) to manage their Balancing Mechanism Units (BMUs) and an accredited Electronic Dispatch & Logging (EDL) software system to communicate real time with the Electricity System Operator, National Grid ESO (NGE).

This enables the participant, be it a generator or demand side participant, to receive real time instructions from NGE and to submit real time changes to dynamic parameters back to NGE.

EDL Supports:

• Submission of real time changes to plant characteristic to NGE e.g. quickly set Maximum Export Limit (MEL) to zero if the plant trips.
• Receipt of bid – offer acceptance (BOAI) data from NGE.
• Receipt of ancillary service parameters such as frequency response or for warming contracts.
• Receipt of emergency instructions from NGE.
• Receipt of TERRE instructions (BOAR) from NGE.

For larger participants, a fixed MPLS line (and ISDN2 backup line) is required for EDL. The EDL circuit is the responsibility of NGE and significant lead times of over six months are to be expected for its installation (by Vodafone). Enegen provides a hosted service for EDL with its’ Genstar4 software which includes pre-installed EDL and EDT lines.

NGE also specify backup control telephony requirements (Green Phone protocol) in the event of a communication failure.

There are strict standards to follow for EDL communications as described in the V5 Communications Standards published by NGE.

Wider Access

As part of NGE’s Wider Access initiative, EDL communications are now supported via API for participants with a single site less than 100MW or a portfolio less than 300MW. Above these thresholds requires fixed line EDL communications.

This method of access is aimed at Virtual Lead Parties (VLPs) and smaller participants.

Control telephony for Wider Access participants is also simplified to a dedicated speed dial from the participants control room. Genstar4 provides support for Wider Access APIs.

EDL accreditation

Genstar4 is on the National Grid ESO (NGE) list of accredited suppliers of EDL systems for participants in the UK electricity market.

The Genstar4 EDL module has successfully completed all NGE’s Business Process Interface Tests (BPITs) and has an EDL (Control Point) Qualification Test Certificate.



For more information visit the Electricity Trading and Generation Software pages.

Follow this link for information about Electronic Data Transfer (EDT).

Click here to request a call back or telephone +44 (0)23 9431 7620