Following an initial memorandum of understanding, GRTgaz Deutschland now intends to contribute more of its gas industry expertise to the mosaHYc project and intensify its cooperation with Creos Deutschland. As a subsidiary of the French FNB GRTgaz, GRTgaz Deutschland envisions itself as an essential link to French gas transport.

"In Germany, there is already legislation on the hydrogen network. We support our French and Saarland colleagues with our experience from the network development process and the design of capacity products for hydrogen," Nicolas Delaporte, managing director of GRTgaz Deutschland, said, explaining the German TSO's interest in the mosaHYc project. "The Creos Deutschland network is also connected to our Central European Gas Pipeline (MEGAL). There will be an additional connection for hydrogen there in 10 to 20 years,"

"Especially in the cross-border Franco-German context, GRTgaz Deutschland is an important partner for us, alongside GRTgaz in France. We can benefit from the extensive experience of the transmission system operator in Germany and use this for our own network planning for the future in order to build a cross-border hydrogen economy," adds Jens Apelt, Managing Director of Creos Deutschland GmbH. He says this is particularly important in view of the challenges the energy transition poses towards hydrogen and green gases.

In the border area between Saarland, Lorraine and Luxembourg, the gas network operators Creos Deutschland (Homburg) and GRTgaz (Paris) are planning to build and operate a high-pressure network for the transport of green hydrogen. In doing so, they want to make a significant contribution to the goals of the Paris climate agreement. To this end, 70 kilometres of existing natural gas pipelines in Germany and France are to be converted to the promising energy carrier for the start-up phase from 2026. To connect potential hydrogen network users, 30 kilometres of new pipeline will be built in Germany. The mosaHYc project is currently in the selection process of the Important Projects of Common European Interest (ICPEI) for the development of a pan-European hydrogen economy.

In order for the cross-border hydrogen system to emerge, potential grid users and grid operators are pooling their efforts in the Grande Region Hydrogen initiative as a European Economic Interest Grouping (www.grande-region-hydrogen.eu).

About Creos Germany

Creos Deutschland GmbH, headquartered in Homburg-Saar, supplies more than two million people in 340 cities and communities in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate with its approximately 1,650-kilometre-long high-pressure gas network and its approximately 450-kilometre-long high- and medium-voltage network. The core competencies of Creos Deutschland include the management of energy networks and associated facilities, as well as the optimisation of network infrastructure. Creos Deutschland employs around 180 people. It is part of the Luxembourg-based energy group Encevo S.A.

About GRTgaz Deutschland

GRTgaz Deutschland GmbH is a transmission system operator certified under European law and a wholly owned subsidiary of the French network operator GRTgaz SA. The company operates the MEGAL pipeline system in Germany as a shareholder. This is part of the Trading Hub Europe market area and has bidirectional cross-border points on the borders with the Czech Republic, Austria, and France. MEGAL's system consists of two parallel pipelines with a total length of around 1,200 km, which are operated at up to 100 bar.

GRTgaz Deutschland aims to increase its share of biomethane for fuel gas in 2022. Up to 16 lots of 5 GWh each will be awarded in the fuel gas tender on  6 Oct. 2021. The volumes will be used as a climate-neutral addition to the existing fuel gas portfolio.

GRTgaz Deutschland requests a flexible supply tranche (0-40 MWh) for the first quarter of 2022. Pricing is based on the EGSI incl. surcharge.

The delivery point shall be the Virtual Trading Point of  the THE Market Area.

Interested suppliers of natural gas and biomethane can find the general terms and conditions as well as the bidding templates for the respective tender here:

• General Terms and Conditions
• Bidding template natural gas (H)
• Bidding template biomethane

Please also note the prequalification requirements for the tender.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr J. Meier-Glotzbach.

Dynamically allocable capacity (DZK) product at points requiring nomination (transit)

DZK at border crossing points (BCP), virtual interconnection points (VIP) and storage connection points enables network use on a firm basis from a predetermined associated entry point to a specified exit point or from a booked exit point to a predetermined associated entry point. The booked DZK can be used on a firm basis if the corresponding entry and exit capacities are assigned to the same balancing group. For the use on a firm basis, the sufficient use of the booked capacity at the predetermined associated network point is decisive. DZK at BCPs, VIPs and storage connection points are assigned to FZK balancing groups.

The following approved point combinations for the DZK transit product are available:

KASPAR DZK route allocations (xlsx-File)

After the market area merger, existing DZK contracts can be changed to DZK1 contracts by the TSO - the point combinations and product conditions will remain unchanged. Point combinations between different TSOs are possible. Point combinations in which GRTgaz Deutschland entry/exit points are involved will be published on the website of GRTgaz Deutschland in a format agreed between the TSOs.

Conditionally firm freely allocable capacity (bFZK) at virtual interconnection points (VIPs)

From 01.10.2021, we will offer conditionally firm freely allocable capacities only on a temperaturedependent basis at the following VIPs. Under certain temperature conditions. conditionally firm freely allocable capacities are, in principle, both firm and freely allocable within the whole market area and have access to the Virtual Trading Point of THE.

Temperature conditions for the VIPs Oberkappel and Waidhaus:

If the previous day's forecast for the daily average temperature at the metrological station in Essen is greater than zero degrees Celsius, the bFZK capacity becomes interruptible.

Overview of new VIPs

Considering the high implementation effort caused by the market area merger on October 1st, 2021, it is not possible to implement all THE-VIPs at the same time. The progressive introduction of the VIPs to be formed is also based on their respective complexity.

Until the introduction of THE-VIPs the marketing of capacities at the existing NCG and GASPOOL VIPs and IPs will be temporarily continued. As soon as the new THE-VIPs are set up, the transport contracts already concluded at the NCG and GASPOOL VIPs and IPs will be transferred to the new THE-VIPs and the relevant VIP-TSOs, as described in the Supplementary Terms and Conditions of the transmission system operators (TSOs).

A consolidation of the VIPs on the border to the Czech Republic is currently not planned. The current VIPs (VIP Brandov-GASPOOL and VIP Waidhaus NCG) will therefore continue to exist beyond the market area merger and will be renamed as VIP Brandov and VIP Waidhaus by October 1st, 2021.

THE-VIPs will not be offered for marketing in the upcoming annual auction. The first auction date for THE-VIPs will be communicated in good time before the VIP introduction. Therefore, marketing at the existing NCG & GASPOOL VIPs and IPs will initially continue on a temporary basis. As soon as the new THE VIPs are set up, the transport contracts already concluded on the former VIPs will be transferred to the new THE -VIPs and the corresponding marketing TSO as described in the Supplementary Terms and Conditions of the transmission system operators (TSOs)

Overview of new VIPs
According to the current state of planning, the market area merger will combine the following IPs and present VIPs at the borders with the Netherlands (H-Gas & L-Gas), Belgium and Denmark to the following new VIPs:

A consolidation of the VIPs on the border with the Czech Republic is currently not planned. Accordingly, the current VIPs (VIP Brandov-GASPOOL and VIP Waidhaus NCG) will continue to exist beyond the market area merger. An adjustment of the VIP names regarding the new market area is currently being reviewed.

This Press release is available as downloadable document.