Redesigning the Austrian gas balancing system

E-Control has redesigned the Austrian balancing model with the involvement and consultation of all stakeholders. Major objectives were the establishment of an integrated and central balancing of transmission and distribution level based on a model with contributes to a further reduction of contractual and operational complexity. The legal requirements of both the national level as well as European level with the network code on gas balancing (NC BAL) were the basis for this process.  Based on the results of a comprehensive stakeholder process, the implementation was carried out with the adoption of the Gas Market Model Ordinance 2020, effective as of 1 October 2022.

Consultation of the Gas-Market-Model-Ordinance 2020 to implement the enhanced balancing model

The implementation of the final concept for the further development of the balancing model is done in a new Gas-Market-Model-Ordinance 2020 (GMMO-VO 2020). This will replace the actual Gas-Market-Model-Ordinance 2012 as of 01.10.2021.

In addition to an integrated market area balancing scheme the new Gas-Market-Model-Ordinance 2020 also includes a fundamental restructuring and adjustment of other contents of the ordinance regarding network access, registration in the market area, congestion management, etc.

The consultation draft of the GMMO-VO 2020 is available in a separate section on the website. Any comments on the consultation draft must be sent to the e-mail address marktregeln@e-control.at by 25 October 2019 at the latest. Please note that any comments will be published here.

Final concept for redesigning the Austrian Gas Balancing Model

In the first half of 2018, E-Control consulted a "Concept for the Further Development of the Accounting Model for the Austrian Gas Market". The concept has now been revised on the basis of the comments received and the discussions within the framework of a stakeholder process.

Consultation documents and responses

The process started in Q1/2018 with the consultation of an E-Control draft concept paper with the focus on the major objectives and elements of a redesigned gas balancing system. Below, the concept paper as well as the received responses are provided.

Presentation of the stakeholder process

The outline of the major topics/areas incl. the essential issues and questions to be addressed in the course of the stakeholder process as well as organizational matters of the procedure has been provided in a webinar published on 29 June 2018:

The underlying presentations are available as well:

Workstream: Balancing principles

The starting point of the stakeholder process will be the area of “balancing principles” with the aim to discuss and clarify the major design questions as basis for subsequent definitions.

Preparatory documents will be provided ahead of the workshops and discussion results will be summarized in the form of brief meetings minutes.

1^st Workshop 13.09.2018

2^nd Workshop 04.10.2018

Workstream: Parameter of the Balancing Model

The area “parameters of the balancing model” pays attention to the refinement and specification of defined principles based on the various balancing parameters (such as tolerances, limits, deadlines, etc.).

Preparatory documents will be provided ahead of the workshops and discussion result will be summarized in the form of brief meetings minutes.

3^rd Workshop 05.11.2018

4^th Workshop 04.12.2018

Workstream: Commercial network balancing

The area “commercial network balancing“ focuses on the refinement and specification of mechanisms and parameters for the commercial balancing of networks including an improved concept for the treatment of potential calorific value differences between natural gas and renewable gases within the balancing framework.

Preparatory documents will be provided ahead of the workshops and discussion result will be summarized in the form of brief meetings minutes to be provided here.

5^th Workshop 22.01.2019

Workstream: Commercial settlement

The concluding area ”commercial settlement“ deals with the processes related to the commercial settlement of balancing mechanisms and aims to clearly describe them.

Preparatory documents will be provided ahead of the workshops and discussion result will be summarized in the form of brief meetings minutes to be provided here.

6^th Workshop 26.02.2019

7^th Workshop 27.03.2019

Summary of the Stakeholder Process

The results of the stakeholder process have been summarized in an integrated result document.

Next Steps

Currently, a revision of the originally consulted concept is taking place on the basis of the results of the stakeholder process. The revised document will be provided on this website.

The implementation of the new balancing model is planned for 1^st October 2021. Therefore, in autumn 2019 a draft of the new gas market model ordinance will be consulted. Details will be provided separately.