Renewable Sources Energy in Romania - 2. part

2.3 CONNECTION TO THE ELECTRIC ENERGY GRID

This text is connected to the previous Article which was about General legal Framework and Set up of renewable energy production plant.

Electric energy producers – holders of an authorisation and licence as described above have access to the electric energy grid of public interest. The access to such electric energy grid is allowed and the connection thereto is performed under certain conditions regulated by ANRE. Such services are provided by the Transport and System Operator, i.e. the National Company Transelectrica S.A. and by the Distribution Operator, i.e. the Company for Distribution and Supply of Electric Energy Electrica S.A.

In case of the construction/installation of a new ERS production plant, the urbanism certificate mentioned under Section 2.1 of the previous Article will also contain provisions regarding the connection of the respective ERS production plant to the electric energy grid, which is realised in several stages and following specific procedures.

The access to the electric energy grid may be restricted only if the connection thereto does not comply with the technical standards of performance provided by the relevant technical regulations and thereby affects the safety of the national electro-energetic system.

The Transport and System Operator and/or the Distribution Operator mentioned above, as the case may be, is obliged to communicate, upon written request from an interested user of the electric energy grid (e.g. a person requesting the connection to the electric energy grid of a new power production plant), within 30 days as of the mentioned request, the technical and economical conditions which must be fulfilled by the applicant for being allowed to connect to the electric energy grid. The mentioned authorities also have the legal obligation to cooperate with the applicant in order to establish the best solution for connection to the electric energy grid.

2.4 QUALIFICATION FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE GREEN CERTIFICATES PROMOTION SYSTEM

Upon written application submitted by ERS producers, ANRE is the competent authority for issuing the qualification for the application of the green certificates promotion system. Such qualification is applicable only for ERS producers which fulfil the conditions described under point 2.4.1 of this Article, based on certain documents and information which shall be submitted to ANRE as mentioned under point 2.4.2 of this Article.

2.4.1 Conditions for the application of the green certificates promotion system

In accordance with the provisions of Order 42, the green certificates promotion system is applicable to ERS producers using the renewable energy sources approved by the European Commission, as presented below. The ERS power plants using other energy sources than the ones mentioned under Section 4.1 of this Article cannot benefit from the green certificates promotion system.

In addition to the above, ERS producers using the mentioned renewable energy sources must fulfil the following requirements in order to benefit from the green certificates promotion system:

1. ERS producers have to use ERS groups/power plants which start functioning or are reconditioned until the beginning of the year 2016;

2. In case of hydro-electric groups, they have to be a part of hydro-electric power plants with a total installed power of maximum 10 MW;

3. ERS producers have to ensure the measuring of the ERS produced and delivered to the energy grid and/or to the consumers;

4. In case of power plants using several energy sources for which a different number of green certificates is granted and in case of co-generation units which benefit from green certificates, the quantity and inferior calorific power of the used energy sources has to be measured.

2.4.2 Documents to be submitted to ANRE for qualification

A complex documentation file needs to be submitted to ANRE, at least 60 days before starting to produce ERS and to deliver it in the National Energy System, in order to obtain the qualification for the application of the green certificates promotion system. Such file has to contain, among others:

1. A written application (standard form);
2. The Location of the ERS power plant;
3. The main equipments composing the ERS power plant;
4. The ERS measuring system;
5. Documents attesting any other state subsidies received for the ERS power plant;
6. Documents evidencing the connection to the electric energy grid, etc.

Upon submission of the documentation file, ANRE shall examine all the documents and, if the case may be, request further documents. The ERS producer shall provide any additional documents requested by ANRE within 10 business days, and ANRE shall issue the qualification document within 30 calendar days since the documentation is complete. Such qualification document also evidences the number of green certificates to be granted to the applicant, as detailed under point 4.2.2 of the next Article.

ERS producers qualified for the application of the green certificates promotion system have, among others, the right to trade the electric energy on the Day-Ahead Market with priority over the energy produced from other sources and the right to participate in the ERS promotion system as described under Section 4 of the next Article.

The next continued Article will focus onSaleof the produces ERS and The promotion system (incentives) for production of electric energy from renewable sources. In the second part will be summarized the subject matter of the ERS promotion system.