Readiness Pre process
For any customers wishing to progress connections applications to Gate 2, the next important step is the Readiness Declaration form.
For most customers, we anticipate you can proceed directly to reviewing the Readiness Declaration template and start to gather your evidence.
However, there are two instances where the Readiness Declaration process requests customers to get in touch with NESO before the application window:
- The technology in your existing agreement is not listed in the Energy Density Table: although the table contains most technologies, it is not an exhaustive list of all available technologies; in this case the customer should contact NESO if their intended technology is not yet included.
- You are required to use a route other than Development Consent Order to obtain Compulsory Purchase Order powers: although it is expected that this will have a very low occurrence, customers that need to use Alternative Planning will should contact NESO before the Application Window opens.
We additionally provide information for customers who believe their acreage is below the threshold provided in NESO’s updated LoA guidance.
What circumstances does this apply in
As part of the Connections Reform process NESO has released the draft Readiness Declaration template, which (amongst other things) requires a customer seeking a Gate 2 offer to confirm whether they meet the minimum acreage requirement.
To facilitate self-assessment, NESO has created and made available the Energy Density Table in the draft NESO LOA Guidance.
- Where a User does not believe they will meet the Minimum Acreage / KM2 Requirements set out in the Energy Density Table, they can provide evidence via their Readiness Declaration as to why a reduced minimum acreage is appropriate for their Project Site. Transmission connected customers may be contacted by NESO, and Distribution connected customers by their relevant DNO or Transmission Connected iDNO, during the Detailed Checks stage of the process.
What is the energy density table?
As part of securing either a Gate 1 or Gate 2 contract, connections applicants must demonstrate they have secured appropriate land rights for their project. NESO’s LoA guidance includes an ‘energy density table’ which sets out the minimum acreage / KM2 per MW for each technology.
When should customers contact us?
While efforts have been made to include most technologies, some technologies may not be listed on the Energy Density Table. If the technology in your existing connection agreement is not listed in the table, please contact NESO as soon as possible, and at a minimum 3 weeks before submitting your Readiness Declaration, to allow for adjustments.
Customers may be asked to provide NESO with technical documents of the intended technology, such as Single Line Diagrams.
Who to contact
If you wish to submit information relating to a technology not listed on the Energy Density Table provided in NESO’s LOA guidance, please contact [email protected]. Please put ‘Technology not in Energy Density Table’ as the email subject.
What circumstances does this apply in?
We expect most projects to seek Gate 2 Readiness via the ‘Land’ route, (i.e demonstrating they have secured land rights); however, there are circumstances where a User may be unable to obtain the necessary land rights as they can only acquire all or part of the land required through the granting of Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers.
The Gate 2 Criteria Methodology section 5.1 states that projects following the Development Consent Order (DCO) process (including to be granted CPO powers) can meet the Gate 2 Readiness Criteria through the submission and validation of their application for Planning (Queue Management Milestone 1).
In the unlikely scenario that a Transmission (or Large Embedded) customer identifies that, to be granted Compulsory Purchase Order powers to secure relevant land rights, they need to follow an alternative planning process other than the Development Consent Order process, the customer should contact NESO ahead of the Application Window opening.
Whilst the above approach also applies in such cases, Small and Medium Embedded customers should contact their DNO rather than NESO.
Who to contact?
If you wish to submit information relating to alternative planning, please contact [email protected]. Please put ‘Alternative Planning’ as the email subject.