Power Plants
Procedure for Connection Requests by Power Plant Operators for the Purpose of Feeding Electricity into the Grid of Amprion GmbH.
Amprion enables the grid connection of power plants with a nominal capacity of 100 MW or more for the purpose of feeding electrical energy into the transmission grid with a voltage of at least 110 kV in accordance with the following transparent and non-discriminatory procedure. This procedure is based on the provisions of the Ordinance regulating the grid connection of power plants for the generation of electrical energy (Power Plant Grid Connection Ordinance, in German “Kraftwerks-Netzanschlussverordnung”, short “KraftNAV”) of June 26th, 2007.
A. Overview:
The procedure for the allocation of grid connection capacity for power plants comprises different steps, which are explained in detail in section B below. First, the procedure is initiated by receipt of a qualified request (B.1.). It then provides for the commissioning and preparation of a feasibility study (B.2.), a connection commitment (B.3.) and the conclusion of a grid connection contract (B.4.).
B. Procedure:
1. Qualified Request
Qualified connection requests for the purpose of feeding electrical energy into the transmission grid (hereinafter referred to as connection requests) shall be addressed to Amprion by registered letter. They must contain substantiated information on the contents listed in the checklist for qualified connection requests. If substantial information is missing from the written connection request or if the information is not plausible, the request does not initially constitute a qualified connection request. In the case of missing information, Amprion will inform the interested party in writing within one week and ask them to subsequently submit the missing information or a plausibility check within a period of one week. If this is carried out in due time, the request of the prospective customer for connection is considered to be qualified retroactively to the time of the original application, otherwise the inquiry will be finally deemed as a not qualified request.
Attachments for Download
| 2024 | Checklist for a qualified connection request |
PDF [123 kB] |
| 2024 | E.1 Application (in German) |
PDF [76 kB] |
| 2024 | E.6 Data sheet of a power generating plant / storage unit (in German) |
PDF [185 kB] |
The connection requests are to be sent to:
Amprion GmbH
Dept. N-CN
Robert-Schuman-Straße 7
D-44263 Dortmund
2. Network studies
2.1 Individual Feasibility Study
After receiving a qualified inquiry and within two weeks following the receipt of the complete information according to section B.1, Amprion offers the interested connection parties to carry out a technical feasibility study.
Within the scope of this feasibility study, in addition to the general network evaluation of the connection options to the extra-high voltage grid of Amprion, the suitable network connection point will be determined, the measures required to create the appropriate network connection point will be identified and any other effects of the connection request on the grid will be examined.
The execution of the feasibility study is subject to a charge for the interested party and will be carried out within three months after the relevant prerequisites have been met. Further details can be found in the sample offer under the following link:
2.2 Network Diagram and Load Flow Model
A simplified network diagram and a static network model of Amprion, as well as a map of all German TSOs can be viewed here:
- Grid area of Amprion GmbH
- Static network model of Amprion GmbH
- Map of the German power grid from VDE 2020
- Confidentiality agreement (in German)
A network diagram contains all circuits, switchgear, busbars and substations.
A load flow model contains an overview of the supra-regional power flow and the installed power plant capacity in the grid area of Amprion. In it, the future power plant feed-in situation and load flows in the model are shown in simplified form. It is based on findings and forecasts regarding the development of the feed-in and load situation. In addition to the individual feasibility study, the model provides interested parties with indications of the grid situation in the feed-in region.
For this purpose, please send a letter containing a description of your legitimate interest and enclosing the signed confidentiality agreement to the following address:
Amprion GmbH
Dept. N-CN
Robert-Schuman-Straße 7
D-44263 Dortmund
3. Connection Commitment
After presenting the results of the feasibility study, Amprion will issue a connection commitment including a reservation of the relevant grid connection capacity to the interested party.
After payment of a reservation fee in the amount of € 1,000 per MW, the connection commitment secures the grid connection concept prepared in the feasibility study for the interested party.
If the power plant is constructed and connected to the grid of Amprion, the premium will be counted towards the grid connection costs to be paid by the prospective customer. If, on the other hand, the power plant is not erected or connected to the grid of Amprion, the reservation fee will be refunded in cases where the prospective customer is not responsible for the non-realization.
A schedule for the negotiations of the grid connection contract (negotiation schedule) must be drawn up no later than three months after the connection commitment has been issued. This schedule shall provide for the conclusion of the grid connection contract after 12 months at the latest.
Further details can be found in the sample connection commitment under the following link:
4. Grid Connection Contract
With the timely conclusion of the grid connection contract, the connection commitment is converted into an unlimited contractual relationship.
With the conclusion of the grid connection contract, the party interested in connection and Amprion agree on the schedule of further measures for the realization of the grid connection and the power plant (realization schedule).
Details on the contents of the grid connection contract can be found in the sample contract available on our website:
5. Other Contracts
In addition to the grid connection agreement, further contractual agreements are to be concluded for the purpose of feeding electricity into the grid of Amprion. These are, in particular, the connection usage contract, the grid usage contract, the connection installation contract and the grid management contract.
Details on the contents of these contracts can be found in the sample contracts available on our website:
- Sample connection usage contract for power plants (in German)
- Supplementary agreement for singularly used resources for power plants (in German)
- Supplementary agreement on redispatch for power plants (in German)
- Sample grid usage agreement for power plants (in German)
- Sample grid management contract for power plants (in German)
6. Handling of Competing Network Connection Requests
Competing grid connection requests exist if qualified connection requests are addressed to Amprion which influence each other in terms of grid technology in such a way that not all connection requests can be granted or requests with lower priority lead to higher connection costs in relation to requests with higher priority in terms of time.
In the event of such a competing situation, Amprion will, if it has not already done so, grant a connection commitment to the connection request with time-related priority without taking into account the competing requests, provided that the prerequisites pursuant to section B.3 are met.
If the connection commitment of the initial connection request lapses, it can no longer claim priority over the competing connection request.
The parties affected by a competing situation will be informed about competing feed-in requests in anonymous form.
7. Scope of Application
The described procedure is applicable to qualified connection requests submitted to Amprion as of 30.06.2007. Connection requests already submitted prior to this date with which no contractual agreements on grid connection have been concluded shall be transferred to the present procedure.
In the event of a change in the contractually secured grid connection capacity for the purpose of feed-in, an examination on the basis of Article 4 Paragraph 1 a) of Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/631 of 14 April 2016 establishing a network code on requirements for grid connection of generators (NC RfG) or Clause 1 VDE-AR-N 4130 as to which agreements of the grid connection contract continue to be adhered to at the grid connection point. The assessment shows what consequences or changes are required for the procedure described above or which need to be implemented.
The procedure for technical modifications to existing generation plants is presented here:
8. Provisio
Amprion reserves the right to adapt the procedure accordingly to any new requirements in the event of the enactment of or amendments to relevant statutory provisions or ordinances and in the event of stipulations by the national regulatory agency (Bundesnetzagentur).
9. Description of the Procedure (Short Presentation)
