The clean energy transition is progressing rapidly in Finland and the EU as countries strive to meet their carbon neutrality targets. Electrification in energy production and consumption increases the demand for new grid connections and the need for sufficient transmission capacity in the power transmission system. Additionally, new methods are needed for the management and operation of the power system.
A significant portion of electricity production is weather-dependent, such as wind power. Due to weather dependency, electricity transmission needs vary significantly. Weather-dependent electricity production also increases electricity price fluctuations and thus affects price-sensitive electricity consumption behavior.
In his dissertation MSc Antti Kuusela presents an on-demand flexibility utilization method, which consists of three elements: dynamic short-term thermal rating of power system components, a method to secure the on-demand flexibility delivery, and congestion management method which operates within a required timeframe to ensure system security. Kuusela analyzes the technical, economic, and economic regulatory aspects in his research.
Flexibility utilization is an effective method to increase the utilization factor of the power transmission system
According to the dissertation the on-demand flexibility utilization is a techno-economically efficient method to increase the utilization factor of the existing power transmission system. The method can be considered generally applicable in power systems which components (e.g. power transformers or overhead lines) have significant thermal inertia.
In his analysis of economic regulation, Kuusela states that transmission system operator’s (TSO) efforts for flexibility utilization to defer investments would likely have a negative or at best a neutral impact on its profit. Therefore, the current Finnish economic regulation model is proposed to be amended to establish a fair share of welfare to the stakeholders. The amended regulation would enable the TSO to provide grid services with a more cost-efficient and diverse portfolio mix.
“The prime driver for the flexibility utilization should be an increase in total welfare. Therefore, flexibility utilization should be incentivized whenever it is the most efficient method to increase grid service output. The on-demand flexibility utilization is a techno-economically efficient method that holds tremendous clean potential waiting to be fully leveraged. Thus, the method utilization would increase the utilization factor of the existing power system, speed up the transition to a more sustainable future, and reduce cost-efficiently the environmental impact of the whole transmission system infrastructure,” Kuusela states.
Antti Kuusela works as a unit manager at Fingrid Plc. The dissertation was carried out as part of Fingrid's deliverables in the EU funded OneNet research project and partly as a side job.
Public defence on Friday 26 September
The doctoral dissertation of MSc Antti Kuusela in the field electrical energy engineering titled On-demand Flexibility Utilization in a Transmission System: Analysis of technical, economic, and economic regulatory aspects will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication at Tampere University at 12 o’clock on Friday 26 September 2025 at Hervanta Campus, Tietotalo building, auditorium TB109 (Korkeakoulunkatu 1, Tampere).
The Opponent will be Professor Robert Eriksson from Uppsala University. The Custos will be Professor Pertti Järventausta from the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication of Tampere University.
The doctoral dissertation is available online
The public defence can be followed via remote connection