inGRID
The feed-in map for renewable gases
The goal of inGRID is to provide a comprehensive overview of the optimal and efficient feed-in points for renewable gases in the gas grid.
inGRID is based on a digital twin of the Austrian gas grid - divided into efficiency classes for the feed-in of renewable gases. To identify suitable plant locations for biomethane, both the resource availability and the absorption capacity of the gas grid were considered.
For hydrogen feed-in, the future hydrogen network from the H2Roadmap for Austria is already implemented in inGRID. Furthermore, inGRID also shows the feasible potentials for renewable electricity generation from wind, water and photovoltaics as well as suitable substations for the connection of electrolysis.
Calculations have shown that about 33 TWh of biomethane from biogas and wood gas and 25 TWh of renewable hydrogen can be produced in Austria by 2040.
inGRID feed-in map
Overview of optimal and efficient feed-in points for renewable gases.
open inGRID
Biomethane or Hydrogen
Thus, inGRID offers many advantages to producers and planners of biomethane and hydrogen plants. Through the categorized representation of the gas grid - different efficiency classes are color-coded - feeders are directed to the most efficient connection points. This can create synergies in the network and avoid bottlenecks, ultimately leading to more efficient and faster connection of renewable generation plants.
For the selection of the injected gas, biomethane or hydrogen are available in inGRID. In the case of biomethane, the feed-in capacity can also be varied in steps from 200 Nm³/h up to 5,000 Nm³/h. Depending on the feed-in capacity, the efficiency classes of the suitability zones also change. Furthermore, it can be selected whether it is an existing or a new biomethane plant. Accordingly, the radius of the suitability zone also changes from 3 km to 10 km. This distance corresponds to the maximum grid connection coefficient according to the Gas Industry Act, up to which the grid operator assumes the costs of the feed-in station incl. compressor and connected load.
No efficiency classes are currently defined for pure hydrogen feed-in. Instead, the expected commissioning of the future hydrogen pipeline - which depends on customer demand - is shown.
Various other layers such as the resource potential, existing biogas plants, substations, exclusion areas and the heat demand density can be activated in the layer selection. Via the "Biomethane potential calculator" the respective biomethane potential can be calculated again mathematically as the intersection of the circle regionally in a certain radius.
In addition, the respective network operator can be displayed with a click on the line. Furthermore, the approximate distance to the gas grid can be determined with the "Measure Tool", but the actual distance can only be determined and set by the grid operator himself!
Contact and networking with the grid operator
If you, as a future renewable gas feeder, have identified potential sites with the help of inGRID, you can contact the respective grid operator directly via the following contact form.
Innovative cooperation project between AGGM and grid operator
Grid operators face the challenge of integrating the growing amount of renewable gases into the existing gas grid. inGRID provides a solid basis for qualitative and quantitative statements on grid connection. The digital map not only records the optimal feed-in points, but also takes into account technical requirements such as pressure and volume to ensure safe, efficient and continuous operation.
Collaboration with grid operators, research institutes and leading experts from the energy sector has made inGRID a groundbreaking project with the potential to accelerate the energy transition and significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
legal basis
According to §18 (1) Z 12a. Gas Industry Act (Gaswirtschaftsgesetz), the distribution area manager, in cooperation with the grid operators and the control area manager for electricity, is responsible for identifying and publishing potential entry points and suitability zones for renewable gas
Covering Austria's demand for renewable gases
In addition to the huge domestic biomethane potential of approx. 33 TWh - calculated by the Federal Environment Agency and BEST - Austria is also able to produce approx. 24 TWh of renewable hydrogen itself.
Frequently asked questions about inGRID
inGRID uses the suitability zones to show how efficiently different feed-in capacities can be realized. These suitability zones for biomethane feed-in are colored according to efficiency classes from dark green to orange. In principle, biomethane can be fed in continuously everywhere, but with different efficiencies. The suitability zones change depending on the feed-in capacity.
The actual technically suitable connection point will in any case be determined by the network operator after contacting and coordinating.
In the menu bar of inGRID, the power range can be selected via a drop-down selection. To display the suitability zones of the selected power range, inGRID must be updated via the "Refresh" button.
Five efficiency classes from A to E were defined and color-coded:
Efficiency classes of the suitability zones:
A - feed-in with best efficiency possible.
B - feed-in with good efficiency possible
C - Feed-in possible
D - feed-in possible with secondary efficiency
E - feed-in conditionally possible
How efficiently a feed-in can be realized depends on the line pressure and the sales structure of the respective grid section. In lower grid levels, it is possible to feed in efficiently due to the low line pressure, but especially in summer - due to the low regional sales - a recompression to a higher grid level may be necessary. However, this means additional costs in both the construction and operation of these plants and reduces efficiency. The more frequent the regeneration and the higher the pressure required, the lower the efficiency class reported in inGRID.
The best efficiency class, A, allows feed-in without recompression, or at least only at a few times during the year. Even with very large feed-in capacities, efficiency increases even at higher grid levels due to lower specific costs.
In efficiency class E, feed-in is conditionally possible only after a case-by-case examination. On the one hand, this can affect lines that will be used in the future for pure hydrogen transport or grid level 3 lines with low hydraulic efficiency.
By clicking on a gas pipeline, the information window for the respective network operator can be opened in inGRID. There you will be referred either to the homepage or to the customer portal of the network operator.
In addition, you can use our contact form to get in touch with the network operator directly.
AGGM offers a contact form. Using this form, initial information on the feed-in, such as contact data, planned start of feed-in, location, output, pressure, etc., can already be communicated to the grid operator without obligation. In this way, the initial contact between the feeder and the network operator can be established easily and without barriers. The network operator will then respond to your inquiry in a timely manner.
After the initial contact with the grid operator and agreement on the technically suitable connection point, the grid access application of the feeder is submitted to the grid operator. After further coordination and, if necessary, specifications for the feed-in, the grid access contract is sent to you by the network operator. This means that you can be connected to the grid. In order to be able to use the network, a network access application must also be submitted to the network operator and an EIC code must be submitted to a local issuing office (e.g. AGGM). With the signing of the network access contract, the successful capacity booking for the feed-in also takes place and the network can be used.
An EI code is a 16-digit code which is assigned to an object (e.g. supplier, producer, storage facility, cross-border transfer point, etc.) in the Austrian market area for unique identification in data communication.
The personalized EI code can be requested at https://platform.aggm.at/portal/eic/assignment/public/form and is required for the network access application.
Network access means the initial establishment of a network connection or the modification of the capacity of an existing network connection pursuant to Section 12 Gas Market Model Ordinance. When applying for network access, the network operator must be informed of the data pursuant to Annex 1/II Gas Market Model Ordinance.
In addition, a one-off network provision charge pursuant to Section 9 Gas System Charges Ordinance must be levied upon network access. This amounts to 3 EUR/kWh/h for grid level 2 and 5 EUR/kWh/h agreed connection capacity for grid level 3. Since 2021, the grid access fee according to § 75 Gaswirtschaftsgesetz (Gas Industry Act) has been waived for feeders of renewable gases. The network operator also assumes the costs for network access, quantity measurement, quality testing, odorization, compression and connection line (maximum 3 km for new plants or 10 km for existing plants) if the entry point is within the network connection coefficient.
Network access means the use of the network as well as the booking of capacity with the distribution system operator pursuant to § 11 and § 15 Gas Market Model Ordinance. When applying for network access, every data according to Annex 1/I. Gas Market Model Ordinance must be provided to the network operator.
In addition, the grid usage fee according to § 13 Gas-Systemnutzungsentgelte-Verordnung of currently 0.12 EUR/kWh/h per year has to be paid for the grid usage. For example, for a biomethane feed-in of 4,000 kWh/h this is 480 EUR per year.
The grid connection coefficient according to § 75 (3) or §75 (4) Gas Industry Act defines the upper limit up to which the grid operator has to bear the costs for grid access, quantity measurement, quality inspection, odorization, compression and connection capacity (up to 3 km for new plants or 10 km for existing plants).
Currently, the coefficient is 60 lfm/m³CH4-eq/h of agreed annual amount of energy to be fed into the gas grid.
Example: New plant, agreed energy quantity 35 GWh/a and distance to gas grid 6 km:
6000lfm*7500h35.000.000kWh*11 kWhNm3 = 14,14 Grid connection coefficient
Since in this example the grid connection coefficient of 14.14 is less than 60, the grid operator bears the costs for the above components.
Basically, the network operator determines the technically suitable network connection point and thus also the actual distance (route length). inGRID offers a possibility for a rough estimation of the distance to the gas network with the "Measure Tool".
In inGRID, the regionalized biomethane potential can be displayed via the level selection.
The biomethane potential from wet residues was calculated by the Federal Environment Agency and is available in a strongly regionalized way on municipality level due to the low transportability. By clicking on the municipality areas, the realizable potential 2040 per municipality can be displayed in GWh per year.
The biomethane potential from solid residues was calculated by the K1 competence center BEST - Bioenergy and Sustainable Technologies and is available regionalized on district level. By clicking on the district areas, the realizable potential 2040 per Bezrik can be displayed in GWh per year.
In inGRID also by means of biomethane potential calculator in particular a circumcircle calculation can be accomplished. For activation, "Calculate biomethane potential" must be activated in the menu bar and a circle with a selectable radius must be drawn at the desired location. This circle then cuts through all potential areas mathematically and sums the potentials. The results are therefore based on a pure mathematical calculation and these only for approximate orientation.
If you want to produce hydrogen and feed it into the gas grid in the future, dedicated hydrogen pipelines are best suited for this. AGGM has designed together with the grid operators) the development of the hydrogen grid and H2 Roadmap for Austria (link to H2 Roadmap) published the starting grid until 2050.
The future hydrogen lines of the H2 Roadmap can be displayed in inGRID by selecting "type of gas" and updating afterwards.
The different coloring of the hydrogen pipelines corresponds to their expected commissioning. This commissioning depends strongly on customer demand and can also still change.
The network operator is to be contacted again for the feed-in. This can also be done via our contact form.
No. The existing high-pressure gas pipelines in Austria are basically also suitable for pure hydrogen transport. Since the Austrian gas grid already has enormously high transport capacities, the foundation for tomorrow's hydrogen infrastructure is thus already laid today. The result of the H2 Roadmap for Austria (link to H2 Roadmap) shows that two separate gas pipeline systems will be created for the future transport of hydrogen and methane. For this, only 300 km of new hydrogen pipelines have to be built. The rest can be achieved by rededicating about 1,400 km of existing pipelines.
The development of the hydrogen network depends largely on customer demand and the ramp-up of domestic and foreign production capacities. As far as possible, this should be done simultaneously. When demand and feed-in are announced with the appropriate lead time, the hydrogen network is then planned and built. Thus, production capacities, demand capacities and transport capacities are ramped up in parallel and the chicken-and-egg problem is solved!
For this purpose, it is particularly important for the network operators to receive the demand reports for hydrogen injection and withdrawal in the form of capacity expansion requests as early as possible. Only in this way can future demand be anticipated in good time and the hydrogen network be available with sufficient capacity in good time. Because the planning and construction of a hydrogen pipeline takes 2-4 years!
You can contribute to the development of the hydrogen network by reporting your demand. At https://www.aggm.at/energiewende/h2-roadmap/ you can directly inform us about your future hydrogen demand as well as methane demand. These requirements form the basis for updating the H2 Roadmap as part of the long-term and integrated planning (link www.aggm.at/gasnetz/netzplanung/lfip/), which is prepared every 2 years.
In order to also implement the necessary projects for realizing the H2 Roadmap, a capacity expansion application must be submitted to the network operator after a rejected network access application for hydrogen - the hydrogen network is not yet available. Only then will concrete projects be included in the long-term and integrated planning and submitted to the regulatory authority E-Control for approval. The first concrete hydrogen project in the distribution area to be approved by E-Control as a planning project is the H2 Collector East.
After refusal of network access pursuant to § 33 (1) GWG, a capacity expansion request may be submitted to the distribution system operator. The capacity requirement on which this application is based shall be taken into account by the distribution area manager when drawing up the long-term and integrated planning. The information to be included in the capacity expansion request is set out in Annex 1/I. Gas Market Model Ordinance.
inGRID also offers an area-wide representation of 380kV, 220kV and 110kV substations via the level selection. Suitable substations for hydrogen production are highlighted in color. This is a sector-coupled view of the electricity and gas grids. These suitable substations either offer a good power supply due to the connection to the electricity transmission grid or have very high renewable electricity feed-in. In addition, suitable substations are located close to the future hydrogen grid.
Exclusion areas such as nature reserves, biosphere reserves, European bird sanctuaries, national parks, water protection and conservation areas, etc. can also be displayed in inGRID via the layer selection. By clicking on the respective exclusion area, the designation can also be displayed.
To get the full potential out of electrolysis, it makes sense to also use the waste heat. Thus, the efficiency could be increased to 90%. This waste heat has a temperature level of approx. 50°-60°C. In order to feed this waste heat into a district heating network with a supply temperature of 80°-100°C, an additional heat pump is required. inGRID also shows where large heat sinks for waste heat utilization are located. Based on the heat demand density - selectable via the layer selection - the waste heat utilization can be taken into account as an additional location factor.