Generation Plants
Procedure for Connection Requests by Operators of Generation Plants for the Purpose of Feeding Electricity into the Grid of Amprion GmbH
Amprion enables the grid connection of generation plants with a nominal capacity of 100 MW or more for the purpose of feeding electrical energy into the transmission grid 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”).
1. Process Description
Short Presentation: Procedure description
2. Qualified Request
Qualified connection requests for the purpose of feeding electrical energy into the transmission grid (hereinafter referred to as connection requests) shall be submitted to Amprion. They must contain the documents listed in the checklist for a qualified connection request for generation plants. If the connection request is missing substantial information or the information is not plausible, the enquiry does not initially constitute a connection request. In the case of missing information, Amprion will inform the interested party in writing within one week and ask him to submit the missing information or a plausibility check within a period of one week. If this is done in due time, the request of the connection applicant is considered qualified retroactively to the time of the original application, otherwise there is no qualified request.
Attachments for download
| Year | Title | 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
3. Network Studies
3.1. Individual Feasibility Study
After receiving a qualified connection request, Amprion will offer to carry out a technical feasibility study within two weeks of receiving the complete information specified in Section 2.
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:
3.2 Network Diagram and Load Flow Model
Information on the grid area of Amprion can be viewed here:
- Grid area of Amprion GmbH
- Static network model of Amprion GmbH
- Map of the German power grid from VDE 2024
A load flow model contains an overview of the supra-regional power flow and the installed generation capacity in the grid area of Amprion GmbH. It shows the future feed-in situation and load flows in the model in simplified form. The model 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 those interested in a connection with an indication of the grid situation in the feed-in region.
If you are interested in a load flow model, please contact Customer Management. Transmission of a load flow model requires a letter stating your legitimate interest and a signed confidentiality agreement (Document follows).
Amprion GmbH
Dept. N-CN
Robert-Schuman-Straße 7
D-44263 Dortmund
4. 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 generation plant is constructed and connected to the grid of Amprion GmbH, the reservation fee will be counted towards the grid connection costs to be paid by the prospective customer. If, on the other hand, the generation plant is not installed or connected to the grid of Amprion GmbH, the reservation fee will be refunded in cases where the prospective customer is not responsible for the non-realisation.
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:
5. Grid Connection Contract
With the timely conclusion of the grid connection agreement, 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:
Sample Grid Connection Agreement for Power Plants (Type 1, in German)
6. Further Contracts
In addition to the grid connection agreement, further contractual agreements are relevant 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 content of these contracts can be found in the sample contracts available on our website:
7. Handling of Competing Connection Requests
Competing grid connection request exist if qualified connection requests 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 considering the competing requests, provided that the conditions set out in Section 4 are met.
If the connection commitment of the initial connection request lapses, it can no longer claim priority over the competing connection request.
The provisions of Section 17(2a) EnWG, Section 8 EEG and Section 3 KWKG remain unaffected.
8. Scope of application
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 process for technical modifications to existing generation plants is described here:
