Dutch power grid will be problematic in large parts until 2029

The Dutch electricity grid is becoming increasingly saturated. Top executive Maarten Otto of energy network company Alliander confirmed this when presenting the annual results. He added that demand is growing much faster than the pace at which the grids can be expanded for years, and expansion of the net is not expected to provide additional capacity until 2029.

Recently, it also became known that there is a power shortage in the provinces of Groningen, Overijssel, and The Hague.

The electricity grid in the Netherlands is under pressure because companies and consumers are increasingly demanding extra capacity at an accelerating pace. For instance, they are switching from natural gas to going electric. Grid operators cannot expand the grid as quickly as demand increases.

Last week, grid operator Stein, which operates mainly in the urbanized Randstad region, called charging station operators to switch off charging stations for EVs between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. According to the company, this is necessary to relieve the congested power grid during these hours.

Busy, busier, busiest

“People have to realize that the increasingly full grid means they cannot use all the electricity they want,” says Otto. “The situation we are in requires consumers and businesses to continuously look at how I handle energy, now and in the future, and what smart solutions I can use for that in the short term.”

In some places in the Netherlands, consumers and businesses must wait until they can get a new connection for their electric heat pumps, charging stations, or solar panels. Last year, Alliander invested more than 1.4 billion euros in expanding and reinforcing. The company expects to work on this for at least another ten years for customers wanting to buy and supply electricity. But that is not enough to solve the problems, according to Alliander.

So, individuals and businesses should use less power on the grid at busy times. This could be done, for example, by giving people and businesses a discount on the tariff if they do not use power at busy times. For individuals, according to Otto, this could mean, for example, not being able to use their charging stations to charge an EV at busy times. “But it remains voluntary,” Otto stresses.

Problems until 2029

According to Alliander, power demand is growing much faster than the pace at which the grids can be expanded for years. Grid expansion is not expected to provide additional capacity until 2029. To address the growing demand for electricity, grid operators are focusing on accelerating the construction of power stations and expanding the cable network.

There is also a shortage of technicians. The grid operators, for instance, are urgently looking for 13,000 technicians. But whichever way you turn it, supply and demand must be better matched. In October, the Consumer & Market Authority (ACM) ruled that grid operators may prioritize critical social organizations, such as healthcare and schools, due to the entire grid.

In June, the Netherlands passed the milestone of 500,000 charging stations. The vast majority (384,200) are private points at home. The country is one of the forerunners in Europe regarding charging infrastructure.