Decree on the Conditions of the Delivery and Supply of Electrical Energy Adopted – First Requests for Preparation of Connection Study to Be Submitted by December 1

At the session held on September 28, the Government of Serbia adopted the Decree on the Conditions of the Delivery and Supply of Electrical Energy. Among other things, the decree defines the conditions of the issuing of approvals for connection to the transfer system, that is, the distribution system.

Taking into account more than 20 GW of requests of wind farms and solar power plants in the procedure of connecting at the transfer system operator EMS, the new decree is expected to instill order to the system. As determined by the development plan that EMS has submitted to the Energy Agency, the transfer system of Serbia can balance 5,800 MW of variable sources of electrical energy at the moment.

Along with the request for issuing the approval for connecting the structure that is connected to the transfer system or the part of the distribution system which is managed by the operator of the transfer system, a connection study is to be submitted, the Decree says. The stipulations will also apply to the initiated procedures for signing the agreements on the preparation of the studies of connecting to the transfer system, that is, the distribution system.

The first interval for the preparation of the connection study begins on December 20, 2023, and lasts until April 20, 2024. The request for the signing of the agreement on the preparation of the connection study is to be submitted by December 1, 2023, at the latest.

Mandatory banking guarantees – EUR 25,000 per MW of power

The submitter of the request for the preparation of the connection study is also to submit proof of the depositing of the funds for the costs of the preparation of the connection study.

The deposited funds amount to EUR 50,000 for the facilities of the producers whose requested power is lower than or equal to 50 MW, as well as for the facilities of the purchasers and electrical energy storage facilities.

The amount of the deposited funds is increased for producer facilities by EUR 400 for each MW if the requested power of the producer facility is over 50 MW to 100 MW; by EUR 300 for each MW if the requested power is over 100 MW to 250 MW; by EUR 200 for each MW if the requested power is over 250 MW.

The amount of the deposited funds for the purchaser which connects a production module of up to 16 MW to its internal installations, without injecting in the transfer system, is EUR 15,000.

After the first interval for the preparation of the connection study, which begins on December 20, 2023, and lasts until April 20, 2024, the operator of the transfer system prepares studies of connecting facilities to the transfer system every year in two intervals, from March 1 until June 30 and from September 1 until December 31, unless the submitter of the request is a strategic partner whose request is to be resolved within the deadlines in line with the law which regulates the use of renewable energy sources.

The submitter of the request for the preparation of the connection study is obligated to submit a banking guarantee to the benefit of the operator of the transfer system, expressed in euros per MW of power in the location of the connection determined by the connection study, at EUR 25,000 per MW of power, within 60 days of the issuing of the connection study.

The approval for connecting to the transfer system is issued for a period of three years, and it can be extended only once at the request of the investor, for no more than two years.

M. D.

Vlada Republike Srbije

Agencija za energetiku Republike Srbije

EMS ad Beograd

Government of Serbia

EMS

Decree on the Conditions of the Delivery and Supply of Electrical Energy

transfer system

distribution system

production of electrical energy

study of connection to transfer system

transfer system operator