New allocation procedure for very large grid connections presented
Equal annual distribution of available capacities to all enquirers
11.10.2024
Berlin continues to be an attractive business location. Many companies from a wide range of sectors want to come to the capital. The city's infrastructure has to be prepared and developed for this. Electricity and the electricity grid play an important role here. Stromnetz Berlin is to double its grid capacity to more than four gigawatts by the mid-2030s. New regulations have now been issued that define who will receive what power for their electricity grid connection and when in the future. Stromnetz Berlin has introduced a transparent allocation procedure for grid connections with very high power requirements. The new procedure only applies to grid connections with a connected load of more than 3.5 megawatts - such as data centres or large heat pumps. Nothing will change for more than 99 per cent of customers in Berlin. Apartment buildings, single-family homes and commercial enterprises: will all continue to remain connected to the Berlin electricity grid at short notice - especially for wall boxes or heat pumps.
With regard to very large grid connections, the chronological order of the complete requests has so far been decisive. In future, available capacities will be distributed annually and equally among all enquirers by network areas in the city. The capacities to be distributed will be determined once a year and published on the Stromnetz Berlin website. The new allocation procedure was presented today (11 October) in Treptow by Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises; her State Secretary and Stromnetz Berlin Supervisory Board Chairman Dr. Severin Fischer; Stromnetz Berlin Managing Director Dr. Erik Landeck, and Kerstin Niemeier, Head of Customer and Market Relations at Stromnetz Berlin, along with Berlin Partner Managing Director Dr. Stefan Franzke.
Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises: "Berlin is a magnet for technology companies, and has established itself as a leading location for the digital sector. Our clear goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045 at the latest makes the city even more attractive for many companies. A reliable power supply is essential for our major projects such as the heat transition and for the establishment of IT companies - and that is exactly what we provide: with the continuous expansion of our grids and our new allocation procedure for very large electricity connections, we are creating even more planning security, transparency and fairness for companies. Stromnetz Berlin is one of the first German grid operators to introduce this innovative process. We are also working on doubling our electricity grid capacities over the next ten years. We ensure that successful economic development and a robust energy infrastructure go hand in hand here."
Dr Stefan Franzke, Managing Director of Berlin Partner: "Over the past three years, Berlin has developed into a top location for data centres, and against this backdrop it is terrific that Stromnetz Berlin is to change the award procedure for energy-intensive companies. This provides planning security, and in future it will be clear where and when services can be provided."
Dr Erik Landeck, Chairman of the Management Board of Stromnetz Berlin: "Our network remains very well set up for all requests for network connections. More than 99 per cent of connection requests are processed at short notice as usual. Anyone who wants a grid connection in this area will get one. The small customer group that requests very large network connections is an exception. A data centre, for example, requires a network connection that would be sufficient for the entire city of Potsdam. We will continue to be able to offer such capacities in the future - but possibly not every year, not all at once and perhaps not in every part of the city."