25.06.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The federal government is making digital progress: The new DKWKG application portal for applications for approval and preliminary decisions as well as notifications of CHP plants is now available.

From June 24, applications for all types of CHP applications can be submitted via the new electronic application portal ("ELAN-K2"). This was announced by the German CHP Association (B.KWK). Each applicant company must register itself once and can then assign any number of users, the association emphasizes. Applications can now be submitted in the application portal, current statuses can be viewed, required notifications can be submitted and additional documents can be uploaded.

The ELAN-K2 online portal is based on the concept of user self-administration. The company must register for the Combined Heat and Power Act in ELAN-K2. Each company can independently create several users and assign them individual rights. According to the information on the portal, existing registrations for other procedures outside of the Combined Heat and Power Act, such as BesAR/EKDP or export control, cannot be used. In this case, a new, additional registration is required.

After logging in with the user data from the registration process, new applications can be created, temporarily saved, further processed, documents uploaded and applications submitted. The status of each process can also be viewed. Applications previously submitted by other means can also be imported into the portal and displayed.

New regulation of the KWKG since April 1, 2025

The application for approval of a new, modernized or retrofitted CHP system must be submitted shortly after the CHP system commences continuous operation, but no later than 31 December of the calendar year following the commencement of continuous operation of the system. If all legal requirements are met, such as high efficiency or no displacement of existing district heating supplies, the Bafa issues an approval notice, according to the portal.
The electricity grid operator pays out the CHP surcharge once the approval notice has been submitted. The amendment to the Combined Heat and Power Act, the KWKG 2025, came into force on April 1, 2025. More information on the new regulations can be found on the portal in the KWKG 2025 section under "History".

The new digital DKWK portal is available online.

The electronic CHP application portal has been online since June 24.

The information sheet on the new CHP application procedure is available for download as a PDF.

Author: Susanne Harmsen