Contracted And Available Capacity Should Be Transferred To Virtual Interconnection Points For Gas, ACER Advises

The European Commission (EC) has concluded that the transfer of contracted and available capacity to the virtual interconnection points for gas - several physical points grouped together to allow users to buy a single capacity service - is implicitly required in the Network Code on Capacity Allocation Mechanisms. Therefore, an amendment to clarify this provision is not necessary.

ACER and ENTSOG were notified on their Joint Functionality platform - used to raise issues related to gas network codes implementation - that Transmission System Operators (TSOs) were planning to implement different models. These varied in particular on how to deal with existing capacity contracts and their transfer to the virtual interconnection points, given that the Network Code was open to interpretation.

ACER and ENTSOG proposed two solutions to the European Commission (EC) with the aim of creating legal certainty and a harmonised implementation across Europe. Both approaches foresaw an amendment of the Network Code on Capacity Allocation Mechanisms. Following the interpretation of the EC, ACER and ENTSOG have closed the issue on implementation of Virtual Interconnection Points on their Joint Functionality Platform. ACER is glad that there is now clarity on the matter.

Find out more about the Joint Functionality Platform and the issue here.