diff --git a/Snakefile b/Snakefile
index 3ca43fd4..4a756959 100644
--- a/Snakefile
+++ b/Snakefile
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ if config['enable']['prepare_links_p_nom']:
         script: 'scripts/prepare_links_p_nom.py'
 
 rule build_powerplants:
-    input: base_network="networks/base.nc"
+    input:
+        base_network="networks/base.nc",
+        custom_powerplants="data/custom_powerplants.csv"
     output: "resources/powerplants.csv"
     threads: 1
     resources: mem=500
diff --git a/data/custom_powerplants.csv b/data/custom_powerplants.csv
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91fc5eec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/custom_powerplants.csv
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+id,Name,Fueltype,Technology,Set,Country,Capacity,Efficiency,Duration,Volume_Mm3,DamHeight_m,YearCommissioned,Retrofit,lat,lon,projectID
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/configtables/electricity.csv b/doc/configtables/electricity.csv
index 68b57b92..5274d347 100644
--- a/doc/configtables/electricity.csv
+++ b/doc/configtables/electricity.csv
@@ -9,4 +9,6 @@ extendable_carriers,,,
 max_hours,,,
 -- battery,h,float,"Maximum state of charge capacity of the battery in terms of hours at full output capacity ``p_nom``. Cf. `PyPSA documentation <https://pypsa.readthedocs.io/en/latest/components.html#storage-unit>`_."
 -- H2,h,float,"Maximum state of charge capacity of the hydrogen storage in terms of hours at full output capacity ``p_nom``. Cf. `PyPSA documentation <https://pypsa.readthedocs.io/en/latest/components.html#storage-unit>`_."
+powerplants_filter,--,"use `pandas.query <https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/reference/api/pandas.DataFrame.query.html>`_ strings here, e.g. Country not in ['Germany']","Filter query for the default powerplant database."
+custom_powerplants,--,"use `pandas.query <https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/reference/api/pandas.DataFrame.query.html>`_ strings here, e.g. Country in ['Germany']","Filter query for the custom powerplant database."
 conventional_carriers,--,"Any subset of {nuclear, oil, OCGT, CCGT, coal, lignite, geothermal, biomass}","List of conventional power plants to include in the model from ``resources/powerplants.csv``."
diff --git a/scripts/build_powerplants.py b/scripts/build_powerplants.py
index 4f29b35f..6735e7fc 100644
--- a/scripts/build_powerplants.py
+++ b/scripts/build_powerplants.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # coding: utf-8
 """
-Retrieves conventional powerplant capacities and locations from `powerplantmatching <https://github.com/FRESNA/powerplantmatching>`_, assigns these to buses and creates a ``.csv`` file.
+Retrieves conventional powerplant capacities and locations from `powerplantmatching <https://github.com/FRESNA/powerplantmatching>`_, assigns these to buses and creates a ``.csv`` file. It is possible to amend the powerplant database with custom entries provided in ``data/custom_powerplants.csv``. 
 
 Relevant Settings
 -----------------
@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@ Relevant Settings
 
 .. seealso::
     Documentation of the configuration file ``config.yaml`` at
-    :ref:`toplevel_cf`
+    :ref:`electricity`
 
 Inputs
 ------
 
 - ``networks/base.nc``: confer :ref:`base`.
+- ``data/custom_powerplants.csv``: custom powerplants in the same format as `powerplantmatching <https://github.com/FRESNA/powerplantmatching>`_ provides
 
 Outputs
 -------
@@ -33,6 +34,37 @@ Outputs
 Description
 -----------
 
+The configuration options ``electricity: powerplants_filter`` and ``electricity: custom_powerplants`` can be used to control whether data should be retrieved from the original powerplants database or from custom amendmends. These specify `pandas.query <https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/reference/api/pandas.DataFrame.query.html>`_ commands.
+
+1. Adding all powerplants from custom:
+
+    .. code:: yaml
+
+        powerplants_filter: false
+        custom_powerplants: true
+
+2. Replacing powerplants in e.g. Germany by custom data:
+
+    .. code:: yaml
+
+        powerplants_filter: Country not in ['Germany']
+        custom_powerplants: true
+
+    or 
+
+    .. code:: yaml
+
+        powerplants_filter: Country not in ['Germany']
+        custom_powerplants: Country in ['Germany']
+
+
+3. Adding additional built year constraints:
+
+    .. code:: yaml
+
+        powerplants_filter: Country not in ['Germany'] and YearCommissioned <= 2015
+        custom_powerplants: YearCommissioned <= 2015
+
 """
 
 import logging