(Bonn / Germany) – The Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) has launched a consultation on the establishment of "provisions for setting network charges for access to the hydrogen core network and for setting up an amortization mechanism effective for a certain period" (WANDA). The agency is now calling on market participants to submit their comments by April 30.
Building an infrastructure
The reason for the determination is “the new powers of the Federal Network Agency to regulate hydrogen networks,” according to a statement. Hydrogen plays a key role in the energy transition. “In addition to the basic availability of competitive hydrogen, an efficient infrastructure is particularly crucial for a successful ramp-up of the hydrogen economy.” This enables the national transport of the energy source.
WANDA would create regulations to regulate network fees in the hydrogen core network. When building an infrastructure, it is particularly important in the early stages to compensate for an imbalance between the demand for transport services on the one hand and the costs of the networks on the other. “While the market for hydrogen still has to develop and the use of the hydrogen core network will only gradually increase, the development of the network is associated with high costs right from the start.” It must be ensured that the investments are recovered. without this being accompanied by network fees that are too high and therefore no longer marketable.
Regulation of network fees in two phases
The problem will be solved by setting a ramp-up fee for all entry and exit points from 2025. It should remain as constant as possible until 2055, called the “amortization phase”. While the network operators initially generated lower revenues, the ramp-up fee in the second phase will lead to revenues that are higher than the costs. The shortfalls and excess revenues would be recorded in an interim account set up for this purpose. This should be balanced again by 2055. This means that the development of the infrastructure will be borne entirely financially by the network customers.
The hydrogen core network is expected to be approved by the BNetzA in a separate procedure in the summer of 2024 and is expected to go into operation in the 2030s. This will create a new energy infrastructure in Germany.
Comments on the consultation can be submitted until April 30, 2024. The regulation is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025. The draft regulation and accompanying documents are available on the Federal Network Agency 's website.
Photos
Federal Network Agency office building in Bonn. © Federal Network Agency
