Electricity generation regimes

Ordinary regime

The generation of electricity in Portugal is carried out in two ways: ordinary and special regime

Production with Licensing
Special regime

Allocation of Capacity Reserve

 

The allocation of capacity reserve for production with licensing, according to decree-law no. 15/2022 can be done through three modality.

  • General Access Modality;
  • Agreement Mode;
  • Competitive Procedure Mode.

The request for the allocation of reserve capacity for injection into the RESP, in any of its modalities, depends on the prior provision of a deposit aimed at guaranteeing that the interested party obtains the prior control titles.

 

General Access Mode

In the general access modality, the request is submitted in DGEG's electronic platform. 

The applicant submits the capacity reservation request to DGEG, indicating the intended injection capacity, the connection substation, voltage level and grid operator to which it intends to connect. 

The decision on the capacity reservation request is communicated by the grid operator to the applicant and the licensing entity. 

When the opinion is favourable, the Reserve Capacity Certificate for injection into the RESP is issued within 10 days, with which the request for connection to the RESP is subsequently initiated.

 

Agreement Mode

The agreement modality is applied in cases where there is no reception capacity at the RESP, but the promoter assumes the financial costs resulting from the construction/reinforcement of the grid, necessary for the reception of the energy produced. 

The maximum available capacity to be allocated in this modality is defined by the Government by January 15 of each year, divided by: 

  • Production technology;
  • RESP operator;
  • Generation with total injection into the RESP and generation for self-consumption.

The promoter must submit the capacity allocation request until March 15th of each year to the DGEG, and may not apply for the injection points at the RESP integrated in the Competitive Procedure Mode. 

With the submission of the application, a deposit must be provided to the DGEG. 

The implementation of agreements between agreement requesters and the DSO are conditional on the existence or creation of reception capacity at the RNT substations which feed the RND in the areas covered by these agreement requests. 

Modality of the Competitive Procedure

The Government determines that a Competitive Procedure must be carried out for the attribution of the Capacity Reserve Title, which is attributed by the operator of the RESP. 

This modality is intended for the attribution of the Capacity Reserve Title for electricity production from renewable energy, and may cover one or more production technologies and include storage facilities.

The announcement of the opening of the procedure is published in the Diário da República (Official State Gazette) and the pieces of the procedure are published on the DGEG website and, in the case of an electronic auction, also on the electronic stakeholder registration platform. 

Provision of Guarantees

In order to make the request for the Allocation of Reserve Injection Capacity at the RESP, it is necessary to previously provide a deposit, aimed at guaranteeing that the applicant obtains the prior control titles. 

Prior Control Title is understood to mean:

  • Production and exploration license;
  • Prior registration and certificate of operation;
  • Prior Notice.

The value of the deposit depends on the Mode in which the process takes place:

The security to be provided by the applicant may take the following forms: 

  • Bank guarantee;
  • Surety bond;
  • Bank deposit, in an account held by the licensing entity, destined exclusively for this purpose.

After the guarantee has been given, the Capacity Reserve Title is issued.

After obtaining the Reserve Capacity Certificate for injection into the Public Service Electricity Network (RESP), the applicant simultaneously promotes the procedure for the award of a Generation License and the process of connecting the generating plant, the storage facility or the UPRAC to the network, to be developed with the respective operator of the RESP.

The request for the Production License is made by the applicant to the DGEG, within a maximum period of one year after the issuing of the Reserve Capacity Title when an Environmental Impact Assessment procedure is to be carried out or, if this procedure is not carried out, within a maximum period of 6 months.

Process for connecting to the RESP


To start the process of connecting to the RESP, the applicant must be in possession of the Capacity Reservation Certificate, issued by the DSO, and follow the steps indicated below. The request is submitted to the producer manager indicated in the capacity allocation communication.

  1. The Over-equipment consists in the modification of the Renewable Energy Centre (EC) by increasing the installed power achieved through the installation of more generating equipment or inverters, up to a limit of 20% of the connection power assigned to the EC in the initial production license.

    The initial connection power, with the Over-equipment, remains unchanged.

    The Over-equipment may be legally separated from the pre-existing Electricity Generating Centre, being registered in the pre-existing prior control title in the name of a legal entity different from the holder of the CE to be over-equipped and controlled by the latter.

  2. The Retrofitting of an Electricity Generating Center (EC) consists in the total or partial replacement of the generating equipment of the renewable primary source EC, without changing the deployment polygon of the pre-existing EC.

    All renewable energy source ECs can be retrofitted.

    With the exception of hydroelectric plants with a connection power exceeding 10 MVA, the total retrofitting of the EC may increase its connection power, once only, up to a maximum of 20% of the connection power initially allocated.

  3. A hybrid is an electroproduction center (EC) or a production unit for self-consumption (UPAC) which, in the prior control procedure, simultaneously presents more than one production entity that uses several primary sources of renewable energy.

    Hybridization consists of the addition to the existing EC or UPRAC of new production units that use a different primary source of renewable energy, without changing the injection capacity of the pre-existing EC or UPRAC.

    Hybrids and hybridization follow the prior control procedure, depending on whether it is greater than 1 MW or less than or equal to 1 MW

    .​

  4. A storage facility is a facility where energy is stored. It may be autonomous when it has a direct connection to the Public Service Electricity Supply Network (RESP) and is not associated with an electricity generating plant or a UPRAC, excluding storage facilities that are part of the electrical installation of the user facility.

    The storage activity carried out autonomously is subject to the prior control procedure, depending on whether it exceeds 1 MW or is less than or equal to 1 MW.

  5. The Additional Energy consists of the active energy resulting from the use of the additional power, excluding the energy from over-equipment, if any. Additional Power is understood as the difference between the installed power and the connection power.

    The Eletroproduction Center's connection power remains unchanged, and the injection of additional energy is not prevented.

Documentação Relevante

Sep 2022
Regulamento (EU) 2016/631 da Comissão​
Sep 2022
Regulamento da Rede de Distribuição​
Sep 2022
Regulamento da Qualidade de Serviço do Setor Elétrico​
Sep 2022
Guia de Medição, Leitura e Disponibilização de Dados de Energia Elétrica​
Sep 2022
Regulamento de Relações Comerciais do Setor Elétrico​
Sep 2022
Manual de Ligações à Rede​
Sep 2022
Guia Técnico das Instalações de Produção Independente de Energia Elétrica​