Public consultation on the design note related to connections with flexible access on the federal transmission grid

Context

The grid is developed to facilitate the European and Belgian objectives regarding the evolution of the energy mix, to facilitate market coupling and to enable the connection of - potential - grid users (consumers, producers or storage units) as economically as possible.

During the connection study, connection solutions with flexible access can be offered - if necessary, for a temporary period - to provide rapid access to the grid for potential future grid users in situations where the grid's capacity requires reinforcement for the requested connection. Under this framework, grid capacity is made available to the network user, but cannot be guaranteed in all operating situations. Depending on the state of the network, this capacity may therefore be limited in order to keep the system secure.

The decarbonization of our society through the massive development of renewable energies and the electrification of demand is pacing up, implying an increased number of connection requests. The result is a significant increase in connection proposals with flexible access, which can no longer be considered a marginal solution.

The regulatory framework for connections with flexible access was initially set out in the Federal Grid Code, for generating units connected to the transmission network. Following an amendment to the Electricity Law, this matter is now covered by the Code of Conduct. The latter has extended the scope of this framework to include storage units and demand facilities.

The Code of Conduct currently describes part of the regulatory framework in this area. However, certain elements, such as the operational conditions for power limitation instructions, could still be clarified in the existing regulatory framework.

The purpose of this document is to present the operational framework for connections with flexible access and to identify the clarifications needed to the regulatory framework with a view to implementation in the short term.

Consultation period

The stakeholders are kindly requested to provide their comments and suggestions. The reactions can be provided to Elia via the form below. The feedback is expected at the latest by Monday 18th of September 2023.

After the consultation period, Elia will collect all comments and feedback from the market parties. Elia will analyze these comments and will provide feedback. In case your contribution is to be treated as confidential, please mention it in your answer.