Grid connection

Are you interested in connecting your plant(s) to our transmission grid? We have compiled relevant information and documents for you below. 

To maintain the technical safety of the transmission grid of Austrian Power Grid AG (APG), connections to APG’s grid are only permissible in compliance with the officially approved General Grid Conditions (german only).

In addition to the direct statutory and regulatory requirements, the General Grid Conditions also regulate the underlying legal relationship between APG and its partners with respect to grid connection and grid use.

The price sheet (German only) regarding the system usage charges is also part of the General Network Terms and Conditions. The fee that APG is entitled to charge in accordance with the General Network Terms and Conditions in the event of violations of the agreed reactive power range is listed in the reactive power price sheet (German only).

For connections at grid levels (NE) 1 and 2, in principle a minimum capacity of 200 MW is required in accordance with § 55 (7) 5 Electricity Act (Elektrizitätswirtschafts- und -organisationsgesetz, ElWOG) and the grid connection guidance document from E-Control Austria. This must be demonstrated in the application with a technical concept. 

In principle, new connections are only possible on NE 1 and 2. This does not apply to extensions of existing NE 3 customer installations and new NE 3 connections with a capacity > 200 MW, provided that a transmission connection is reasonable.

The right to connect to the grid within an area covered by the distribution grid is in principle held by the distribution system operators in accordance with § 44 (1) ElWOG. Unless there is an exception pursuant to § 44 (2) ElWOG, a direct connection to the transmission grid of APG is possible if the relevant distribution system operator waives this right. 

The general requirement is that no space reserves for the expansion of the transmission grid are used for the connection of grid users.

The establishment of a new grid connection or modification of an existing grid connection at APG must be applied for using the forms provided for these purposes. Modification of an existing grid connection includes, in particular, changes in the electrical properties of the grid connection in terms of the applicable technical rules, as well as changes in the grid use (e.g. planned increase in maximum capacity). The application should be accompanied by the necessary documents and evidence required for the assessment of the grid connection. The application and documents should be submitted together in writing to APG.  

Applications to APG shall be made in writing and signed in the company’s name, either by registered post (the date of receipt is determined by the incoming poststamp), or electronically by e-mail to the P.O. Box disclosed by APG. 

Application forms 

• Producers (German only)

• Consumers (customers) (German only)

• Distribution network operators (German only)

• Owners of interconnectors pursuant to Art 63 Regulation (EU) 2019/943 (German only)

Once the application has been received, APG will check it for completeness and the grid connection procedure will be initiated in accordance with the General Grid Conditions. 

During the review of the application, APG may ask the applicant to provide other necessary documents and evidence to make a detailed assessment of the grid connection. In the event of an incomplete and/or erroneous application, APG shall request that the applicant rectify the application within a reasonable deadline. 

In accordance with the deadlines specified in the General Grid Conditions, APG shall send the applicant a response, informing the applicant whether or under which conditions a grid connection can be made. The conditions may be manifold and may also include the possibility of restricted grid usage in certain circumstances. If the applicant does not oppose the conditions specified within the stipulated deadlines, these conditions shall be deemed accepted and further steps will follow. All conditions stated in the response letter shall subsequently be taken into account in the contracts to be concluded bilaterally. 

For the connection of new or significantly modified (in terms of the applicable technical rules) existing facilities to APG’s transmission grid, the requirements of the operational notification procedure and evidence of compliance in accordance with the details published by APG based on the applicable technical rules shall be complied with: 

• Operational notification procedure and evidence of compliance for power-generating modules in accordance with Network Code Requirements for Generators (NC RfG) (German only)
• Operational notification procedure and evidence of compliance for grids and loads in accordance with Network Code on Demand Connection (NC DCC) (German only)

In the course of the type-approval procedure, the applicant shall demonstrate to APG that their facilities meet the requirements of the applicable technical rules and the contractually agreed requirements.

Compliance monitoring of facilities that have already obtained the final operational notification is carried out annually by means of a questionnaire. The completed form for the respective year must be submitted to APG by the deadline of June 30 of the following year.

• Compliance monitoring form for power generation systems in accordance with NC RfG (German only)
• Conformity monitoring form for consumer installations in accordance with NC DCC (German only)
• Conformity monitoring form for distribution networks and distribution network installations in accordance with NC DCC (German only)