Gas Network Development Plan becomes German transparency platform for hydrogen market ramp-up

The German gas transmission system operators (TSOs) have today launched a survey on the production of and demand for hydrogen and green gases (synthetic methane) and on capacity reservations/expansion claims pursuant to sections 38/39 of the Gas Network Access Ordinance (GasNZV), which will be included in the Scenario Framework for the Gas Network Development Plan (NDP) 2022 (for the period from 2022 to 2032).

In their Gas NDP 2020 the TSOs had included hydrogen and green gases for the first time. The modelling will be continued and expanded in the upcoming Gas NDP 2022 with another market survey. The TSOs will ask companies, project managers, distribution system operators and adjacent projects in neighbouring countries with an impact on Germany to report their green gas projects for the Scenario Framework by 16 April 2021. “This market survey will provide us with an overview of ongoing hydrogen and green gas projects in Germany and adjacent projects in neighbouring countries that have an impact on Germany. The Gas NDP 2022 will thus be the German transparency platform for the hydrogen market ramp-up,” says Inga Posch, Managing Director of FNB Gas e.V.

The TSOs have published a form on the FNB Gas website for reporting projects related to the production and demand of hydrogen and green gases. The completed form must be sent to a gas TSO operating in the area where the project will be implemented. In addition, the TSOs have published criteria as well as further information for green gas projects to be included in the Scenario Framework for the Gas NDP 2022.

Moreover, market participants can report capacity reservations pursuant to Section 38 GasNZV and capacity expansion claims pursuant to Section 39 GasNZV for storage, LNG and production facilities as well as gas-fired power plants to the responsible gas TSOs until 31 March 2021. For this purpose, FNB Gas has published criteria on its website for selecting projects to be included in the Scenario Framework consultation document for the Gas NDP 2022. The gas TSOs plan to publish and consult on the Scenario Framework for the Gas NDP 2022 in the summer. The Scenario Framework to be confirmed by the BNetzA will form the basis for Gas NDP 2022 modelling, which is expected to start in autumn 2021.