diff --git a/Snakefile b/Snakefile
index b02e4f33..61872920 100644
--- a/Snakefile
+++ b/Snakefile
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ if config['lines'].get('line_rating', False):
             base_network="networks/base.nc",
             cutout="cutouts/" + config["lines"]['cutout'] + ".nc"
         output:
-            output="networks/base_lr.nc"
+            output="resources/line_rating.nc"
     log: "logs/build_line_rating.log"
     benchmark: "benchmarks/build_line_rating"
     threads: 1
@@ -230,9 +230,10 @@ if config['lines'].get('line_rating', False):
 
 rule add_electricity:
     input:
-        base_network = "networks/base_lr.nc" if config['lines'].get('line_rating', False) else "networks/base.nc",
+        base_network = "networks/base.nc",
         tech_costs=COSTS,
         regions="resources/regions_onshore.geojson",
+        line_rating="resources/line_rating.nc" if config['lines'].get('line_rating', False) else None,
         powerplants='resources/powerplants.csv',
         hydro_capacities='data/bundle/hydro_capacities.csv',
         geth_hydro_capacities='data/geth2015_hydro_capacities.csv',
diff --git a/scripts/add_electricity.py b/scripts/add_electricity.py
index 08a32a26..bced1efc 100755
--- a/scripts/add_electricity.py
+++ b/scripts/add_electricity.py
@@ -539,6 +539,11 @@ def estimate_renewable_capacities(n, tech_map=None):
              .where(lambda s: s>0.1, 0.))  # only capacities above 100kW
         n.generators.loc[tech_i, 'p_nom_min'] = n.generators.loc[tech_i, 'p_nom']
 
+def attach_line_rating(n):
+    if snakemake.config["lines"]["line_rating"]:
+        s=xr.open_dataarray(snakemake.input.line_rating)
+        n.lines_t.s_max_pu=s.to_pandas().transpose()/n.lines.s_nom
+        n.lines_t.s_max_pu.replace(np.inf, 1.0, inplace=True)
 
 def add_nice_carrier_names(n, config=None):
     if config is None: config = snakemake.config
@@ -575,9 +580,11 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     attach_hydro(n, costs, ppl)
     attach_extendable_generators(n, costs, ppl)
 
+
     estimate_renewable_capacities(n)
     attach_OPSD_renewables(n)
     update_p_nom_max(n)
+    attach_line_rating(n)
 
     add_nice_carrier_names(n)
 
diff --git a/scripts/build_line_rating.py b/scripts/build_line_rating.py
index 62291326..a52ca524 100644
--- a/scripts/build_line_rating.py
+++ b/scripts/build_line_rating.py
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ import numpy as np
 import geopandas as gpd
 from shapely.geometry import Point, LineString as Line
 import atlite
+import xarray as xr
 
 
 def add_line_rating(n):
@@ -66,9 +67,12 @@ def add_line_rating(n):
     shapes = [Line([Point(x[b0], y[b0]), Point(x[b1], y[b1])]) for (b0, b1) in buses]
     shapes = gpd.GeoSeries(shapes, index=n.lines.index)
     cutout = atlite.Cutout(snakemake.input.cutout)
-    s = np.sqrt(3) * cutout.line_rating(shapes, n.lines.r/n.lines.length) * 1e3 # in MW
-    n.lines_t.s_max_pu=s.to_pandas().transpose()/n.lines.s_nom
-    n.lines_t.s_max_pu.replace(np.inf, 1.0, inplace=True)
+    da = xr.DataArray(data=np.sqrt(3) * cutout.line_rating(shapes, n.lines.r/n.lines.length) * 1e3,
+                      attrs=dict(description="Maximal possible power for given line considering line rating")) # in MW
+    return da
+    #import netcdf file in add electricity.py
+    #n.lines_t.s_max_pu=s.to_pandas().transpose()/n.lines.s_nom
+    #n.lines_t.s_max_pu.replace(np.inf, 1.0, inplace=True)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
@@ -79,6 +83,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     configure_logging(snakemake)
 
     n = pypsa.Network(snakemake.input.base_network)    
-    add_line_rating(n)
+    da=add_line_rating(n)
 
-    n.export_to_netcdf(snakemake.output[0])
\ No newline at end of file
+    da.to_netcdf(snakemake.output[0])
\ No newline at end of file