Germany - Hydrogen - Auction Procedure for the Purchase of Hydrogen - Global Lot (GL)

This auction procedure is part of the H2Global mechanism, an instrument for competition-based support of the market ramp-up of renewable hydrogen. Hintco strictly adheres to the principles of non-discrimination and transparency in order to ensure a high level of competition during the auction. The auction procedure is designed to be vector-neutral. Producers can therefore supply RFNBO compliant hydrogen to Hintco, regardless of the vector utilized. Hintco requires that the product is produced using renewable energy and in compliance with sustainability requirements as specified in the Performance Specifications and the Hydrogen Purchase Agreement, incl. its Annexes. In the Global Lot, Hintco will provide two HPAs: An HPA for deliveries to Germany (HPA DE) and an HPA for deliveries to the Netherlands (HPA NL). This approach is necessary to reflect (i) the distinct supply chains to the Netherlands and to Germany and (ii) the respective national regulatory frameworks and legal orders. The HPAs are beyond that identical in wording. For reasons of clarity Hintco provides a synopsis of the HPA DE and the HPA NL. The auction process will be carried out as follows: === First of all, Hintco will assess the eligibility of the candidates with regard to the subject of the auction. Interested companies must therefore submit a request to participate. === This request to participate is assessed by Hintco in two stages: first for a complete submission on time and in the correct form, then for eligibility based on defined criteria. Candidates meeting all minimum requirements will be invited to a negotiation phase (see Section 4 Conditions of Participation ). === Hintco will then invite all candidates who have submitted an eligible request to participate to a nondiscriminatory negotiation process that will take place before the submission of a bid (see Section 2 Conditions of the Bidding Phase ). === All bidders receive the same draft HPA synopsis as the basis for negotiation proposals. Negotiations aim to create a single set of HPA contract terms for the global lot, allowing for competitive bids. All bidders receive the same draft HPA synpopsis, but the grey-highlighted contract sections are generally excluded from negotiations (deemed non-negotiable). This limit is mainly due to regulation, state aid rules, and Hintco’s operational setup. Exceptions may be considered in justified cases. After negotiations end, bidders have at least 8 weeks to prepare and submit their bids. The dead-line for the submission of bids will not be before. === Only bids meeting all formal and substantive requirements will be admitted. This requires a final and binding bid in due form and time, a completed Price and Quantity Sheet, an updated project description, a self-assessment of RFNBO certification-readiness, a calculation of the greenhouse gas emissions and a sufficient probability that the bidder will fulfil the contractual obligations (see Section 4 lit. a Conditions of the Bidding Phase). === A price cap of €353/MWh applies. Any bid exceeding this cap in any contract year will not qualify for the auction (see Section 4 lit. b Conditions of the Bidding Phase). === The award criteria for the bids will consist of 90 % volume weighted average price and 10 % maximum optional delivery quantity (see Section 4 lit. d Conditions of the Bidding Phase). === The best bidder of each lot will be subject to an extended validation. As part of the extended validation, the best bidder of each lot according to the award criteria will be requested to provide a proof of a market-conform return on equity of the project, a proof of a successful RFNBO pre-certification through one of the recognised Voluntary Schemes and, if applicable, a bid bond (see Section 5 Conditions for the Bidding Phase). === This lot only includes production in the following countries or territories: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican City (Holy See), Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong (SAR), India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cook Islands, Ecuador, Fiji, Guyana, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America.