[FB DA MC] ALEGrO go-live date

Dear Market Parties,

In addition to the previously announced information about the go-live approach for the upcoming 1GW HVDC interconnector between Germany and Belgium, please be informed on the first date of commercial operation.

Conditional on the successful commissioning of the cable the first day of commercial operation will be business day 18/11/2020 (allocation day 17/11/2020).

The ALEGrO project parties would like to remind that the commercial operation of the interconnector will follow a stepwise approach. First capacity will be provided in the Day-Ahead time frame, followed by the Intra-day and Long Term. Since the HVDC interconnector will be integrated in the meshed AC grid, the capacities are going to be released in a stepwise manner as indicated in the table attached. The allocation of monthly long term rights (FTR options) is foreseen to start in December for delivery January 2021. The first yearly products (FTR options) are foreseen for 2022.

In order to prepare for the commercial go-live certain market coupling system will be upgraded a few weeks before. This date is set to Business day 4th of November with Allocation day 3rd of November. At this time, the following changes will take place in the CWE region:

1.     Application of Flow Based Plain during market coupling

2.     Application of improved Virtual Branches during capacity calculation

3.     Addition of the ALEGrO interconnector during the capacity calculation. Until the commercial go-live the capacity will be restricted to 0MW.

Contrary to what was previously communicated, the start of the of Shadow Allocation on the BE-DE border will only start at the commercial go-live (for Business Day 18/11/2020).

Best regards,

Amprion and Elia