Grid Connection Agreement
Grid Connection Agreement
Apart from the connection agreements for the connections within the Netherlands to either the connected industries or the local distribution companies, Gas Transport Services is involved in formalising the issues at all of its connection points with its adjacent system operators. This activity includes all the connections at the border crossings with Germany, the UK and Belgium, the connections to the upstream production systems, both on-shore and off-shore, and the storage connections.
The aim is to bundle all the technical and operational aspects into bilateral agreements between TSOs. The scope contains issues as gas quality, metering, allocation, data provision, pressure safety, responsibilities and whatever else is relevant at the specific connection(s). In case there are more connections between GTS and an adjacent TSO, such an agreement will apply to all of them.
The structure of this Grid Connection Agreement is one main body text covering rights and obligations in general and in legal terms, combined with a number of attachments describing the various aspects. Because each of these areas are covered by different specialists within a TSO organisation, these employees are responsible for the content of such an attachment and for keeping it up to date.
The added value of such agreements is that all technical and operational issues are arranged between the TSOs, in order to properly serve their customers at either side of the connection. Shippers will then be able to make use of the connection without bothering about the technicalities at the flange.
Enclosed is the model that GTS applies for the main text. Some models for attachments are also enclosed. For the other attachments no general model is available since they describe the specific local situation.
Within GTS the frontoffice is responsible for the coordination of these Grid Connection Agreements. Contact person is Janneke Hermes (+31 50 521 3177). The process is normally as follows: After the TSOs have a obtained a common understanding about the purpose of and scope of such an agreement, names and details of the specialists within both organisations are exchanged and a general time frame is put in place. Then the specialists discuss the content of their part. The final document, including all attachments, is then exchanged, initialized by the responsible departments, and the complete document is signed at the appropriate level.
In case a change of process or equipment requires an updated exhibit, the specialists will decide on the new exhibit content and the timing of the replacement.