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A draft Regulation amending and supplementing Regulation No. 6 of 28.03.2024 on the connection of energy facilities to the electricity grid has been published on the Portal for Public Consultations.
The draft Regulation introduces a requirement for the provision of a guarantee in the procedure for the connection of electricity storage facilities and of consumption/generation facilities to which non-self-contained electricity storage facilities/installations are built/placed, which is aimed at preventing the exhaustion of the capacity for connection to the electricity networks by persons without real investment interest.
Furthermore, amendments are proposed to further simplify the procedure for studying the conditions and method of connection of renewable electricity production facilities, taking into account the specificities of the construction of this type of facilities. The additions to Articles 10, 52, 105, 106 and 107 regulate in a clear and non-contradictory manner the relations between the persons who have submitted a request for a study and/or for the connection of sites and the grid operators, as well as between the grid operators themselves, the text states.
Requiring a guarantee in the connection procedures for electricity storage facilities will lead to a more favourable and predictable environment and conditions for investments in electricity storage facilities, thus protecting the rights and interests of bona fide investors. Removing the preconditions for speculative commitment of grid capacity will minimise the risk of abuse, thus contributing to faster connection of electricity storage facilities to the electricity grids, the EWRC said in its report.
The draft Regulation No. 6 creates additional facilitations in the procedure for the connection of sites for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources, giving applicants the opportunity to decide whether to proceed with their project at an earlier stage of its development, thus saving significant costs. Separately, the proposed changes will give investors a longer period of time to complete the EIA procedures and the opportunity to decide at what point to conclude the contracts for the establishment of the construction right in such a way that they have sufficient time, in view of the legal limitation of Article 67 of the Property Law, to plan and implement the construction of the plant within that period. The proposed amendments will increase investor interest and contribute to the realisation of the national targets for the share of renewable energy in the gross final consumption, the EWRC report added.
