26.03.2024
Source: Energy & Management Powernews
The Federal Network Agency is putting forward key points and questions on so-called "hydrogen roadmaps" for consultation.
The hydrogen roadmaps serve to specify the requirements for an exemption under section 71k of the Building Energy Act (GEG), which allows gas heating systems to continue to be operated with natural gas. Background: In future, heating systems must be operated predominantly with renewable energies or unavoidable waste heat. This is regulated in Section 71 of the fundamentally amended Building Energy Act (GEG), which came into force on January 1, 2024. Depending on the type of heat generation or heating system, there are different deadlines for implementation.
The exemption in Section 71k GEG now allows heating systems that burn natural gas to generate heat to continue to be installed, set up and operated during a transitional period until they are connected to a hydrogen network. Heating system operators who fall within this scope do not have to comply with the gradual increases in the proportion of renewable energies. A key requirement for operators to fall under this exemption is the existence of a so-called "hydrogen roadmap". They must submit this to the authority in a binding form and it is approved by the authority.
The Federal Network Agency states that the roadmaps are intended to ensure that the plans are technically and economically feasible on the one hand and that they comply with the existing legal and regulatory framework on the other. The consultation is intended to serve this purpose.
Authority must specify formal requirements for timetable
According to Section 71k (3) sentence 2 GEG, the Federal Network Agency is responsible for the first time by December 31 of this year for specifying various details of the timetable: its form, the type of evidence to be submitted for it and the type of transmission and methodology for reviewing requirements for hydrogen timetables. These specifications for the creation and submission of roadmaps are intended to regulate the conversion of the network infrastructure to a complete supply of hydrogen to connection customers.
In preparation for this task, the authority examined existing planning approaches, previous heat plans, the so-called gas network transformation plans and other accessible documents. Its conclusion: the existing approaches need to be expanded and made more concrete so that they can meet the legal requirements of Section 71k of the Gas Act.
The Federal Network Agency hopes that the key points and questions published on March 25 for consultation will shed light on the situation. The agency sees its key points paper as the starting point for a detailed, open-ended discussion and debate process.
The key points and questions on hydrogen roadmaps will be published on the Federal Network Agency's website by April 22 for consultation with the industry, civil society, politicians and scientists. The feedback form is also available online.
Author: Davina Spohn
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