Jitka Hlavová, Director of the Thermal Engineering and Energy Division at ORGREZ, heads a team that provides diagnostics, optimization, and technical assistance in the design of structural modifications to technological units and power units, performs special measurements in heating plants and power plants, and helps resource operators meet the demanding conditions for certification of power balance services for ČEPS. Under her leadership, the division delivers not only technical solutions but also modern innovations such as ORGREZ Cloud Terminal—cloud-based resource management that replaces traditional hardware solutions and paves the way for the effective integration of decentralized energy sources into the ancillary services market.
What was her path to the head of such a specialized team? How does she see the future of energy and new business opportunities in a time of energy market transformation? We talked about all this in our interview.
What was your professional path to becoming head of ORGREZ's Thermal Engineering and Energy Division, in a field where women rarely hold leadership positions?
My path to becoming a division manager was more of a natural evolution. I liked math and physics in high school, and at that time I was literally in love with nuclear power plants, so I chose to study thermal engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague. Even during my studies, I wanted to work in the field, so I started working at ORGREZ as a part-time employee. Gradually, I worked my way through almost all technical positions – from junior roles to responsibility for entire projects. This gave me a unique insight into the functioning of our division from different perspectives. Even during my parental leave, I stayed in touch with the company and participated in smaller projects and energy audits, which allowed me to stay up to date. I was very lucky to have superiors who trusted me and supported me in my professional growth. My gradual professional growth, the opportunities I was given, and my constant contact with the company ultimately led me to manage the entire division.
Your division covers a wide range of services, from classic diagnostics to power balance service (PBS) certification. How do you manage to combine the role of technical expert with the managerial skills required to lead a highly specialized team?
I am very lucky to have such great colleagues. Not only are they top experts, but they are also people who can take responsibility, work independently, and are naturally motivated to perform at the highest level. Thanks to them, combining the roles of technical expert and manager is much easier for me—because I know I can rely on my team.
I also greatly appreciate feedback from customers, which is often addressed directly to the team. Recently, Temelín's management praised our diagnostic team for its excellent approach and the quality of its results, which helped improve the operational economy of the Temelín unit, and I am always happy to pass on this feedback to my colleagues. Such recognition is a huge motivator.
Another important factor is the diversity of our work. Our projects are very varied, both technically and professionally, which constantly pushes the whole team forward technically and at the same time prevents stereotyping or burnout. I see this as the key to long-term satisfaction and the high quality of our work.
Frequency and non-frequency ancillary services for ČEPS are becoming an increasingly important part of the energy market. Do you see the growing demand for power balance services more as a technical challenge or as a new business opportunity that could fundamentally transform the energy market in Czechia?
Power balancing services are currently a rapidly developing area offering a range of opportunities. Just a few years ago, it was mainly stable providers – large energy players such as ČEZ, Sev.en, and Veolia. Today, however, we are seeing the emergence of a whole range of new entities, whether smaller operators or so-called aggregators, who can bring either purely commercial flexibility or real technical flexibility to the market, i.e., power balance services.
For ORGREZ, this change is both a great opportunity and a commitment. As a certification authority for SVR, we accompany both established providers in their regular recertifications and complete newcomers, whom we help with everything from initial studies and technical solution design to final certification and possible terminal delivery.
From our perspective, this is not just a technical challenge, but above all a new and very promising market segment. SVR now accounts for a significant part of our business activities, and its growing role also shows that resource flexibility is becoming one of the key factors in the stability of the Czech and European energy sectors.
The assessment of source adequacy by ČEPS suggests that there could be a restructuring of the power balance services market. How do you see this? Do you think that higher-capacity sources will need to be built by 2035?
Definitely. If coal-fired power plants are gradually decommissioned, there will be a shortage of power in the system, especially in rotating machines. It will therefore be very important to start building new combined cycle power plants as soon as possible, which will be able to provide power balance services – either directly on a gas turbine or through the aggregation of gas and steam turbines. Such sources will contribute to grid stability and the development of a flexible power balance market.
ORGREZ is an authorized company for the certification of ancillary services for ČEPS. How important is this position in the market and how does it give you a competitive advantage? Especially in the certification of providers of frequency and non-frequency power balance services?
There are several entities on the Czech market that can certify power balance services, but our advantage is that ORGREZ itself is not an FSS provider. This means that customers perceive us as an independent authority that has no commercial interest in providing these services, which they consider to be an added value. And, of course, they can rely on the entire certification process—from the initial studies to the final measurements and uploading of documentation to the MMS system—being conducted transparently and objectively.
How demanding is the certification process from the customer's perspective?
From the customer's perspective, the certification process can be divided into two parts. For existing providers, it is usually a recurring matter – customers already know what to expect, how time-consuming the tests are, and certification comes as no surprise to them.
For new providers, the process is more complicated. First, administrative matters need to be dealt with – concluding contracts with distribution companies, ČEPS, and other entities. We primarily focus on the technical part, where we process the provider's study, help organize the equipment into an aggregation block, and recommend the appropriate scope of services provided. If the customer also uses our Cloud Terminal—a communication element between the equipment and ČEPS—we can also ensure its implementation and operation.
The certification itself, if the equipment is ready and all previous steps go smoothly, is then a relatively quick matter. Upon completion, we prepare certification protocols and a technical report, which we submit to ČEPS, thus concluding the entire process.
You mentioned ORGREZ Cloud Terminal, which replaces traditional hardware—who is it intended for, and what is its main benefit for customers?
When we developed Cloud Terminal a few years ago, it was clear to us that traditional hardware would not be the optimal solution for aggregated resources, which are often not concentrated in one location. A cloud solution therefore seemed like an elegant and flexible alternative.
Cloud Terminal is ideal for new providers who have multiple energy facilities located throughout the country, or for those who plan to expand their operations to different locations over time. It enables centralized control and online monitoring without the need to install and maintain complex hardware at each location.
Of course, customers always consider and compare the Cloud with traditional solutions; sometimes, due to internal security policies, they prefer their own hardware. Overall, however, Cloud Terminal is an efficient, flexible, and cost-effective solution for most SVR providers.
Let's return to aggregation blocks – their importance is growing and the rules of the game are changing – how is your division preparing for this transformation?
The growing importance of aggregation blocks and changes in market rules require our division to be ready to provide comprehensive support. For aggregators with decentralized energy facilities, we offer not only power balance and terminal supply services, but also study processing – either independently or in cooperation with ORGREZ Eco within the group – and can thus help with the design of conceptual solutions for specific locations.
Your systems are continuously maintained in accordance with the Transmission System Code. How often do these regulations change, and how flexibly do you have to respond to them?
Of course, we have to keep an eye on the Transmission System Code and get familiar with it regularly. We work really closely with ČEPS, and together with other certifiers, we consult on upcoming changes to make sure everything makes sense and can be applied in practice.
What other services does ORGREZ's Thermal Engineering and Energy Division offer its customers?
In addition to power balance services, we also perform guarantee and verification measurements on various types of energy equipment, whether it be classic power plants and heating plants or smaller energy facilities. What is certainly interesting, however, is that this year we also performed guarantee measurements on a battery storage facility.
Our activities in nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are quite extensive—we perform measurements on the secondary and tertiary circuits. In general, our measurements cover the engine room, the cooling circuit, and, in the case of conventional power plants and heating plants, the boiler room and associated operations.
In addition to measurements, you also offer other forms of support—can you describe them?
Yes, another area is various types of studies, ranging from purely technical ones focused on a specific problem to technical-economic ones that serve as support for investment decisions. Another interesting area is modeling in the licensed Thermoflow software. It can be used to model and determine basic technical indicators, such as electricity production, heat production, or expected efficiency in planned technological modifications or the construction of a new source.
We also offer support in diagnostics. We can divide this into material diagnostics and technological diagnostics. Material diagnostics mainly involves inspections of drums, heating surfaces, or steam pipe leaks, or checking the composition of materials. In this area, we focus on NDT methods. Technological diagnostics mainly involves diagnosing the tightness of turbine vacuum systems or specific measurements, the outputs of which are used for diagnostics.
Finally, we are also able to offer the DIS Built information system for energy operations, which is used both for the reporting needs of a given location and for operational diagnostics and equipment monitoring. The basis is the energy balance of the source. To sum up, thanks to our services, customers receive comprehensive support.
What is your vision for ORGREZ's Thermal Engineering and Energy Division?
Our goal is to maintain and further develop the traditional core of the division – thermal engineering measurements in energy operations. This is the area on which the division has been based since its inception, and it is key for us in terms of expertise, customer trust, and continuity.
At the same time, we want to strengthen the area of services related to technical and commercial flexibility within ORGREZ Group projects so that our technical expertise and commercial strategy go hand in hand with current trends in the energy sector. In this way, we want to consolidate our position in the market as a reliable, innovative, and comprehensive partner for energy operations.