The National Open Access Registry (NOAR) became live on May 1, 2022, after a successful test period. NOAR is an initiative of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, and the necessary regulatory framework has been notified by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) through the operationalization of the 5th Amendment Regulation on Open Access in Inter-State Transmission.
For the purpose of electronic processing of short-term open access applications, NOAR has been designed as an integrated single window electronic platform that is accessible to all stakeholders including open access participants, traders, power exchanges, national/regional/state load despatch centres. This platform will automate the administration of short-term open access in the interstate transmission system, which will benefit all stakeholders.
Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO), which operates the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC), has been selected as the nodal agency for the implementation and operation of NOAR.
As a repository for information pertaining to short-term open access in interstate transmission, including standing clearance issued by RLDCs or SLDCs, and short-term open access granted to open access customers, among other things, the NOAR platform will be made available to stakeholders online. The provision of a payment gateway that is integrated with NOAR and used for the purpose of processing payments will make financial accounting and tracking of short-term open access transactions easier.
NOAR would be the key to facilitating speedier power markets and enabling the integration of renewable energy (RE) supplies into the grid, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. NOAR will allow open access to consumers to participate in the market in a seamless manner, providing them with easier and faster access to the short-term energy market, which accounts for around 10% of total demand in India.