Renewable energy policy database and support

• Non-discriminatory connection. The grid operator is obliged to connect renewable energy plants without discriminating between any persons or classes of persons (Sec. 34 (8) ERA). The regulatory authority may decide that the connection of renewable energy plants shall be given priority (Sec. 9 (5) (e) ERA). So far, the regulatory authority has not taken such a decision. 
• Group Processing Approach. However, renewable energy plants are connected under the so-called Group Processing Approach (GPA). The GPA aims to speed up the connection of renewable energy plants by providing standardised procedural steps, and to increase connection security. This procedure was especially designed for RES plants (1 CER /05/049). 
• Processing outside the Group Processing Approach: Small plants may be treated outside the GPA. In general, this rule applies to plants with a capacity of up to 5 MW (wind energy plants are considered small if they have a capacity of up to 0.5 MW), connection is in the public interest, a connection can be established faster outside the GPA, and the regulatory authority has granted exemption from the GPA (4.4 CER/05/049, CER/09/099). In addition, certain providers of system services under the DS3 Programme will be eligible and prioritised for a connection offer under the non-GPA process, until the enduring connection policy in line with the provisions of the new RES support scheme is in place. The DS3 programme is a multi-annual programme by EirGrid which envisages ensuring that the power system can be operated with increasing amounts of variable non-synchronous renewable generation over the coming years. For the sake of grid stability, wind and solar energy installations are not eligible to the connection offer under the non-GPA process (6.2 CER/16/284).
• ECP-1: Under ECP-1 in the event that the batches total threshold has been exceeded, a prioritisation system will be applied. Applications will be chosen in the following order (5 CER/18/158 Annex I):
  • DS3 qualified projects up to 400 MW threshold. 
  • All other applications will be prioritised in the order of the planning permission’s expiry date, i.e. an application with a shorter planning permission validity period will be prioritised over an application with a longer planning permission validity period.
  • Where applications have a planning permission expiry date in the same quarter, the received complete date of the connection application will be used, i.e. an application with an earlier received complete date that will be prioritised over an application with a later received complete date.

The total capacity of newly connected plants is limited, as the Gates have a planned maximum size. Gate 3 (current iteration) provides for connection offers for 3.900 MW of renewable capacity. This capacity will be sufficient to reach Ireland's renewable target of 40% of electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020 (4.4 CER/08/260).

It should be noted that the applicants for Gate 3 have already been selected. New applications will be processed only when all connection offers under Gate 3 have expired (50 working days after the connection offer was sent to the applicant) and Gate 3 can thus provide additional connection capacity, or when a new selection process ("Gate 4") is initiated (5.13, 7.5 CER/08/260).

The maximum gate capacity does not apply where small plants are processed outside the GPA. Furthermore, eligible projects wishing to terminate their connection agreement and release their full contracted capacity under a given gate, may submit a formal application to the system operator within four months (October 2016) (3.4 CER 16/284). The system operator is encouraged to approve the termination while 80% of the first stage payment of the grid connection will be refunded (6.1 CER/16/284). Nevertheless, an additional arrangement foresaw that plants were eligible to apply for a partial capacity release, free of a Maximum Export Capacity (MEC) reduction charge, by 30 June 2017 (2 CER/17/090). Plants operators with a valid connection agreement in place with MEC greater than 5 MWthat requested MEC release of at least 3 MW and had submitted an application form to the relevant system operator signed by the plant operator by 30 June 2017, were eligible to apply for a partial capacity release (2.1 CER/17/090).

Under the ECP-1, the threshold for processing applications under the non-batch process is 30 offers per year (12.2 CER/18/158 Annex I). Apart from that, for 2018, at least 1,000 MW of new connection offers will be made (2.1 CER/18/158). Furthermore, there are thresholds for DS3 projects (400 MW and 100 MW per project) (4.1 CER/18/15/158).