Natural gas
The issues dealt with by Ruling Chamber 7 relating to the regulation of natural gas networks include balancing and conversion. Balancing serves to ensure a balanced relationship between the quantities of gas injected into and withdrawn from the gas network within a defined period of time. The ruling chamber lays down the relevant market rules for balancing within gas balancing groups and monitors the proper balancing of gas quantities by balance responsible parties. It also takes decisions relating to balancing gas, which plays a key role in maintaining the stability of the gas network and guarantees appropriate settlement of the costs for imbalance gas that are incurred as a result of unforeseen deviations within balancing groups. In addition, the ruling chamber lays down and monitors the market rules for a conversion system in the dual-quality gas market area.
Ruling Chamber 7’s task in the field of unbundling is to ensure transparency and non-discriminatory arrangements for network operation. These prerequisites are essential for promoting effective competition at upstream and downstream stages of the energy value chain and make a fundamental contribution to building trust among market participants. The ruling chamber monitors the compliance of gas network operators with the relevant unbundling requirements and carries out certification procedures for gas transmission system operators to check and prove conformity with the requirements.
With regard to gas storage facilities, Ruling Chamber 7’s responsibilities involve certifying gas storage facility operators, approving gas storage facility closures and – in cooperation with other relevant organisational units – monitoring the statutory storage level requirements to safeguard security of supply in accordance with section 35a et seq of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG).
The certification of operators of underground natural gas storage facilities is regulated at European Union level in Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789, which is supplemented at national level by the provisions introduced in section 4e EnWG on the allocation of responsibilities and the actual procedure. The provisions apply to operators of underground natural gas storage facilities that have at least one entry point to the German gas transmission system and whose facilities are located on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. The purpose of certification is to verify whether any potential influence over the operator of a natural gas storage facility could endanger the security of energy supply or essential security interests of the European Union or one of its Member States. The Bundesnetzagentur is responsible for carrying out the certification procedure, with the involvement of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Before Ruling Chamber 7 issues a certification decision, the draft decision has to be notified to the European Commission in accordance with Article 15(6) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789. The ruling chamber has received a large number of applications for certification from gas storage facility operators, which it is currently processing; no opinions from the European Commission have been received so far.
Natural gas storage facility closures require approval in accordance with section 35j EnWG and have to be notified to the competent authority at least twelve months in advance. Approval may only be given if the closure is not expected to be detrimental to security of supply in the Federal Republic of Germany or the European Union or if continued operation of the storage facility is no longer possible for technical reasons. Conversion of a natural gas storage facility to operation with hydrogen also requires approval under section 35j EnWG.
The rules in section 35a et seq EnWG (“Gas Storage Act”) provide the basis for monitoring tasks to be carried out by the Bundesnetzagentur. Section 625 at the Bundesnetzagentur performs the operative monitoring tasks. If parties do not meet their statutory obligations, in particular those under section 35b EnWG, or do not meet them correctly, regulatory measures can be taken. Ruling Chamber 7’s tasks include deciding on the release of quantities of gas in accordance with section 35d EnWG and approving the methodology for levying the storage neutrality charge in accordance with section 35e EnWG.
Ruling Chamber 7 also monitors compliance with European Union and national requirements for capacity management within the context of network access. This includes the calculation, offer and allocation of capacity by network operators and the use of capacity by network customers. Capacity here can be taken to mean the functional right of a network customer to use infrastructure in line with the rules of the relevant entry or exit contract. Within the scope of its responsibility, the Bundesnetzagentur is entitled to lay down more detailed provisions on appropriate, transparent and non-discriminatory conditions for network access.
Ruling Chamber 7 also deals with fundamental issues relating to supplier switching and energy data collection and metering. The standardisation of business processes in the energy sector provides an important basis for the efficient and nationally uniform supply of energy to final customers. The issues covered by the ruling chamber’s relevant determinations include the operative arrangements for switching processes and the exchange of data and messages between the market participants concerned. The aim of these regulations is to achieve largely automated processes and minimise switching and processing timescales.
With regard to LNG facilities, Ruling Chamber 7 is responsible for decisions on exemption from regulation and for monitoring the compliance of non-exempt facilities with the regulatory requirements, in particular access-related requirements under the LNG Ordinance (LNGV). In the natural gas sector, the ruling chamber decides on applications for the exemption of LNG facilities, interconnectors and existing pipelines from regulation in accordance with sections 28a and 28b EnWG and Article 78 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789.
Ruling Chamber 7 also monitors compliance with the statutory requirements relating to network connection in the gas sector. This covers general network connection rules under the EnWG as well as privileged network connections as provided for up to 31 December 2025 under the Gas Network Access Ordinance (GasNZV).
Gas transmission system operators are also subject to the transparency requirements set out in Article 33 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789. The relevant points of a transmission system on which information is to be made public have to be approved by the competent authority. The list of relevant points approved in accordance with Article 33(4) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 is published separately.