Briefing
The Federal Network Agency announced on 3 November 2026 the contracts awarded in the first tender round for long-term capacity under the Electricity Supply Security and Capacity Act (StromVKG) published. The authority said that 4,500 reduced megawatts (rMW) were offered in the round; bids totalling around 11,958 rMW were submitted. The Federal Network Agency awarded a total of 11 contracts, with a capacity of approximately 5,160 rMW, a large proportion of them for sites in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg and Saxony. The authority gives 3 November 2026 as the publication date of the press release and says it is preparing a second round. (Federal Network Agency, 3 November 2026).
According to the participating corporate group, operating sites in Lusatia—including locations with existing grid infrastructure and land available for expanding facilities—performed successfully in the tender. The LEAGGroup—represented by the companies Lausitz Energie Bergbau AG and Lausitz Energie Kraftwerke AG (together operating under the LEAG brand)—had already registered several gas-based projects for the tender in advance and made its participation public. LEAG says it intends to use existing infrastructure at power station sites such as Jänschwalde, Boxberg, Schwarze Pumpe and Lippendorf to shorten construction times and safeguard local employment. (LEAG press release, September/November 2026).
The Federal Network Agency notes that only bids meeting all the formal and substantive requirements were awarded contracts; average prices were well below the cap. The authority says the aim of the StromVKG is to create predictable, dispatchable capacity to supplement supply when wind and solar generation is low, thereby strengthening Security of supply. At the same time, the energy policy debate remains divided over how gas-based capacity can be incorporated into a climate-neutral pathway and how costs should be shared between consumers, network operators and the state. Specific commissioning dates, technical specifications and project financing are to be clarified in the next stages of the process.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).