EU Commission publishes FGH study on the implementation of the RfG NC
On behalf of the Directorate General for Energy – DG Energy – FGH has investigated how 35 countries implement the European Network Code of Requirements for Generators in their own national codes
Aachen. At the end of 2019, FGH received a tender from the EU Commission for a comprehensive study on the implementation of RfG NC. For one year, FGH-experts from the office in Aachen examined how individual countries have implemented the aforementioned framework and determined a level of convergence for the technical requirements.
Some technical requirements for grid connection of Power Generation Modules (PGMs) according to RfG NC were realised somewhat differently in each country. These diverging national implementations stem from the fact that the RfG NC gives grid operators and national regulatory authorities design freedoms for so-called non-exhaustive grid connection requirements. One of these freedoms is the categorisation of PGMs as type A to D. As an example, a PGM may already be considered type B in one country, but still count as type A in another.
Additionally, the RfG NC formulates provisions for conformity testing and simulations in operational verification processes rather vaguely. Furthermore, some countries have already established concrete verification provisions, while others are working out verification processes and some have not implemented any procedures yet. Together this leads to a relatively broad spectrum of national implementation procedures today.
“Those diverse requirements confront manufacturers, PGM project developers, and plant operators with significant market entry challenges”, says Mansoor Ali, head of the power generation technologies and grid components department at FGH. “Especially Manufacturers are challenged within the European internal market concept because they must take varying requirements for their products into account.” For project developers, electrical planning and grid code-compliant commissioning processes are crucial. During the operational period plant operators are responsible for ensuring grid code compliance in accordance with national regulations. Despite the uniform basis of the RfG NC these challenges are clear barriers to market entry within the European internal electricity market”, Mansoor Ali points out.
“Based on our comprehensive analysis, the study provides some recommendations on how a more uniform process could be established across Europe in the future”, concludes Bernhard Schowe-von der Brelie, Managing Director of FGH, who is involved in harmonising the rulemaking across various European and international committees.