Important notice regarding the yearly auction on the capacity booking platforms and the use of balancing groups of Trading Hub Europe (THE)

All current balancing group contracts of the market areas NetConnect Germany (NCG) and GASPOOL (GPL) will be transferred to the market area Trading Hub Europe (THE) as of 01.10.2021, 06:00. The balancing group designations of the balancing groups/sub balancing groups (BG/SBG) will be migrated to the new nomenclature on the basis of the "THE balancing group list" finally published on 01.07.2021.

The transmission system operators (TSO) will carry out a 1:1 migration of the GPL and NCG-BG/SBG to the new THE-BG/SBG nomenclature for the yearly auction and make the new THE balancing groups available on the capacity platforms. If balancing group allocations by third parties are planned, we request the shippers concerned to submit an updated power of attorney pursuant to § 7 item 5 GTC to Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH (GUD) by 18.06.2021.

In addition, due to the market area merger, all market area interconnection points will cease to exist, which can therefore no longer be booked beyond 01.10.2021, 06:00.

Depending on the time of execution of a capacity booking, the following must be observed for the entry of capacities into a balancing group/sub-balancing account (BG/SBG):

a) For this year's yearly auction for firm capacity products on 05.07.2021

• Capacity bookings at VIPs, cross-border interconnection points and storage points should be brought into the new THE balancing groups. The GPL- and NCG-BG/SBG are additionally still available.
• If the THE balancing groups provided by the TSO do not correspond to the balancing groups you require, a subsequent adjustment of the allocation of the capacity contracts to another THE balancing group is possible until 28.09.2021 at the latest.
• Please note: For the "Comfort Bit" process offered on the capacity platforms, the new THE balancing groups are not expected to be available until early July.

b) For existing capacity bookings with a term beginning on or after 01.10.2021, 06:00:

• Existing capacity contracts with validity from 01.10.2021, 06:00 or a contract term beyond 01.10.2021, 06:00 that are brought into NCG or GPL balancing groups can probably be transferred to the new THE balancing groups from 05.07.2021. This will have no effect on your contract charges. This transfer will be done in direct consultation with the account managers at GUD.
• If these existing capacity contracts have not yet been included in the THE balancing groups by 01.09.2021, the affected shippers will be informed accordingly.
• On 28.09.2021, the TSO will carry out a final withdrawal of all capacity contracts from NCG or GPL balancing groups as of 01.10.2021, 06:00 (end of validity of these balancing groups).
• From 28.09.2021 FCFS requests for a delivery period from 28.09.2021 beyond 01.10.2021 are not possible. Only daily or rest-of-the-day contracts can be concluded.

c) For all capacity bookings with a term until 01.10.2021, 06:00 applies:

• All capacity bookings are brought into the previous NCG or GPL balancing groups.

Note on the display and selection of network points on the capacity platforms:

The network points on the capacity platforms will also be converted to THE in the course of the conversion processes. Some network points will already be marketed with the new market area THE in the annual auction, while others will remain with the old designation until shortly before 01.10.2021. There will be restrictions in the display of the network points, but this will not affect their booking processes.

Note on nominations as of 01.10.2021, 06:00:

Please note that all nominations for performance periods from 01.10.2021, 06:00 onwards may only be submitted to the TSO for THE balancing groups.