Preparing for the end of the transition period: Confirmation of the applicable electricity interconnector Access Rules
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This letter sets out our confirmation of the electricity interconnector trading arrangements at the end of the transition period, and the applicable Access Rules. The Access Rules are required pursuant to Standard Licence Condition 11A of the electricity interconnector licence which requires interconnectors to maintain ’Access Rules’, that set out the terms and conditions for access to, and including use of, the interconnector.
In 2019 contingencies were prepared to ensure the electricity interconnectors would continue to flow if GB no longer had access to the Internal Energy Market (“IEM”). We approved modifications to the Access Rules for the IFA, Nemo Link, BritNed, IFA2 and ElecLink electricity interconnectors (hereon referred to as the “Rules”) to apply in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal. At the end of the transition period it is expected that we will no longer be part of the IEM, and therefore will no longer participate in single day-ahead market coupling (“SDAC”) and single intraday coupling (“SIDC”) on GB electricity interconnectors. It is therefore expected that the Rules will come into effect at the end of the transition period, 31 December 2020 at 11:00pm GMT.
The interconnectors linking GB to the island of Ireland (EWIC and Moyle) have not yet consulted on proposed changes to Access Rules, and we do not expect to receive a submission ahead of the end of the transition period. In event the GB is no longer part of the IEM it is expected that the EWIC and Moyle interconnectors will continue to allocate implicit cross border capacity via intraday trading, as set out in their Access Rules.