Prequalification for the provision and activation of balancing services

Potential providers of the various types of balancing services can participate in a prequalification procedure in which they provide proof that they fulfil the requirements for rendering one or more types of balancing services necessary to guarantee security of supply.

For all types of balancing services (FCR, aFRR, mFRR), the prequalification will take place exclusively for the transmission system operator (TSO) in whose LFC area the technical units (power plants, units of consumption, or both) are connected to the network, regardless of the voltage level (connecting TSO). In accordance with the prequalification conditions ("PQ Conditions") as reworked in October 2018, prequalification will now take place based on the prequalification of reserve-providing units and reserve-providing groups.

As soon as the prequalified marketable services exceed the respective lowest bid value, the connecting TSO will conclude a framework contract (see adjacent downloads) with the balancing service provider, per type of balancing services, which is in turn a prerequisite for participating in the tendering procedure for balancing services.

Prequalification is possible at any time. Carrying out an appropriate prequalification procedure normally requires at least two months after all necessary documents, written records and verification have been submitted. And more complex procedures might take even longer.

Until October 2018, the PQ Conditions were contained in the TransmissionCode 2007, "Network and System regulations of German Transmission System Operators" issued by the German transmission system operators). Chapter 5, "system services", contains the general requirements, and Appendix D the detailed requirements per type of balancing services. These PQ Conditions will be phased out and replaced by the revised PQ conditions published in October 2018; presumably, the revised PQ Conditions will apply exclusively by 18 December 2019.

All relevant documents are published under the adjacent links.

The prequalification documents can be transmitted to the transmission system operator concerned by using the PQ Portals.

50Hertz Transmission GmbH
Energy Sector
Heidestraße 2
10557 Berlin, Germany

Amprion GmbH
Systems Management Grids Brauweiler
System Services and Energy Market
Von-Werth-Straße 274
50259 Pulheim, Germany

TransnetBW GmbH
System Operation Business
Pariser Platz
Osloer Str. 15-17
70173 Stuttgart, Germany

TenneT TSO GmbH
Customers & Markets
Bernecker Straße 70
95448 Bayreuth, Germany

The TSOs reserve the right to adjust or update this information.