Legal framework: permissions and restrictions (and Ownership constraints (unbundling))

This LAP concerns the injection of hydrogen into the gas grid at the TSO level and the legal framework status covering authorised bodies and varying hydrogen concentration levels in the TSO transmission system along with potential changes to the regulatory framework to support enhanced hydrogen injection and utilisation

Glossary:

The existing national legal framework for the DSO to carry out hydrogen activities, which is normally restricted to natural gas. Ownership constraints refer to the constraints related to ownership associated with the process of injecting.

select country:

Is it a barrier?

Yes

Type of Barrier

Regulatory gap

Assessment Severity

Questions:

Question 1 Which is the responsible authority/legal entity for the permission of the connection/injection of hydrogen in the gas grid?

The DSO

Question 2 What is permitted or restricted according to national legislation under your responsibility as DSO regarding the transmission of pure hydrogen and mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas.

This is not defined in national legislation; so there is no blocking element to inject. However, a customer might complain about the quality of the gas. Pro–actively, the downstream customers would be screened regarding their quality requirements, specifically if it is a feedstock.

Question 3a - Is there a maximum concentration defined that you are allowed to transport as a DSO? (e.g. are you allowed to transport 100% hydrogen)

a - No specification available and no measurement/detection of H2 in place

Question 3b - In case the maximum hydrogen concentration in your transmission grid (system) is less than 100%, is it allowed to inject pure hydrogen- 100%? into gas grid on transmission level (up to the allowed concentration)?

b - No rules available

Question 3c - If no, who is responsible for the blending with natural gas? Is there an obligation for the TSO to provide the necessary natural gas for blending the hydrogen (with several EU Directives transposed into national legislations the functions of gas grid operator and natural gas supplier are separated)

c - No rules available

Question 5 Are there specific requirements for increasing or decreasing the admissible threshold of hydrogen concentration (upstream and downstream networks, infrastructure elements and appliances with lower tolerance)? If yes: please describe.

Question 6 Are there specific restrictions/permissions for the transport of hydrogen other than “concentration” and “quality”, if yes which ones?

Question 7 If it can be guaranteed that the gas is on the required quality specification (on spec) at the next customer, is it allowed to feed in off-spec gas (read: a higher concentration of Hydrogen)?

Question 8 Which part of the connection facility (the injection installation is part of the connection facility) is owned by or under the responsibility of the DSO?

Not defined yet

Question 9 As TSO, do you see legal and administrative restrictions with regard to the ownership of your part of the connection facility (the injection installation is part of the connection facility) of hydrogen into the grid?

Not clear; TSO/DSO is currently not allowed to be a producer of hydrogen; so TSO/DSO will not be the power to gas facility owner

Question 10 Is there a difference in legal and administrative restrictions between connections for hydrogen injection into TSO and DSO-networks? If so could you please specify the differences?

No legislation available for TSO, nor for DSO.

Question 11 Are there specific national (add-on) restrictions for the connection/injection of hydrogen in TSO networks compared to the connection/injection of natural gas? If yes: please name them. Are there other requirements for the injection of H2NG-blends compared to pure Hydrogen?

No legal framework for H2NG. For biomethane some guidelines are available from Synergrid, which is the federation of network operators for electricity and gas in Belgium no

Question 12 Is it foreseen to review the current regulation to consider hydrogen injection into natural gas network and if yes on which term?

It will be considered and directly discussed with the national regulator for the first practical injection request

Describe the comparable technology and its relevance with regard to hydrogen

Biomethane injection

EU Legislation:

Directive 2009/73/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas
Directive 2009/73/EC establishes common rules for the transmission, distribution, supply and storage of natural gas.

Its provisions and obligations apply to Hydrogen Gas by virtue of Article 1 (2), which states that the rules established by this Directive for natural gas, including LNG, shall also apply in a non–discriminatory way to biogas and gas from biomass or other types of gas in so far as such gases can technically and safely be injected into, and transported through, the natural gas system.

Article 25 establishes the “Tasks of the distribution system operator” which include: ensuring the long-term ability of the system to meet reasonable demands for the distribution of gas […];shall provide any other distribution, transmission, LNG, and/or storage system operator with sufficient information […] as well as to ensure that the system operator does not discriminate between system users or classes of system including, including e.g. when setting rules for the charging of system users, etc

Article 32 sets the rules on “Third party access”: access to the transmission and distribution system, and LNG facilities shall be based on published tariffs, applicable to all eligible customers, including supply undertakings, and applied objectively and without discrimination between system users.
Regulation 715/2009 on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks
Regulation 715/2009 sets non-discriminatory rules for access conditions to (a) natural gas transmission systems; (b) LNG facilities and storage facilities taking into account the special characteristics of national and regional markets

To achieve this, it sets harmonised principles for tariffs, or the methodologies underlying their calculation, for access to the network, but not to storage facilities, the establishment of third-party access services and harmonised principles for capacity-allocation and congestion-management, the determination of transparency requirements, balancing rules and imbalance charges, and the facilitation of capacity trading.
Regulation (EC) No 713/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing an Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators
Article 1 Project matter and scope
This regulation aims at:
(a) setting non–discriminatory rules for access conditions to natural gas transmission systems taking into account the special characteristics of national and regional markets with a view to ensuring the proper functioning of the internal market in gas;

Article 8 “Tasks as regards terms and conditions for access to and operational security of cross border infrastructure
Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/703 of 30 April 2015 establishing a network code on interoperability and data exchange rules
The network code on interoperability aligns the complex technical procedures used by network operators within the EU, and possibly with network operators in the Energy Community and other countries neighbouring the EU.Article 7, Measurement principles for gas quantity and quality. In addition to interconnection points, Article 17 shall apply to other points on transmission network where the gas quality is measured. Article 18 shall apply to transmission systems. This Regulation may also apply at entry points from and exit points to third countries, subject to the decision of the national authorities.