The power grid in Brabant is overcrowded and Efteling is also affected by this. The Danse Macabre attraction, which is under construction, and the new Efteling Grand Hotel in particular will be affected by the electricity shortage this winter. The park’s sustainability ambitions are also under pressure.
The exact consequences of the power shortage are still being investigated, it reported Brabants Dagblad Thursday morning. Yet visitors do not have to worry that their cart will come to a stop halfway through the ride. “It will never come to that,” says a spokesperson for the amusement park. “But with a new hotel and attraction, the limited power supply is a challenge.”
Sustainability
Efteling says on Thursday morning that the shortage also has consequences for the amusement park’s ambitions to go off gas. “That project requires a lot of power,” says a spokesperson. “We see a big challenge there.”
In terms of solutions, the park is also looking at the option of storing solar energy generated in the summer in batteries. In this way, that electricity can be used in the winter. “But ideally, the connected load is increased. That is the best option for us.”
Efteling has invested a lot in solar panels, but they are less effective in the dark winter. Like many other companies, the park has therefore asked network manager Enexis for a ‘wider’ power connection.
Power grid overcrowded
The park has already had a new high-voltage cable installed for more power. But that cable is not going to tackle the problem. “We assumed that laying that cable would give us more power. That is actually not the case now,” says the park. The problem is in the supply of power, not maximizing it.
The problems at Efteling are not isolated. The power grid in our province is getting clogged up every month. Companies and institutions that use a lot of electricity will only be able to get a new power connection with a delay in the next five to ten years. Existing large-scale consumers cannot expand either, Enexis reports.
The number of customers on the waiting list in our province has tripled since September 2022 and that number is still rising. The Efteling is therefore also on that waiting list.
New projects
The new theme area in Efteling will be located where the Spookslot now stands and will be over one and a half hectares in size. In addition to the new attraction Danse Macabre, there will be catering, a souvenir shop and matching entertainment. If all goes according to plan, the new themed area and attraction will open in 2024.
The construction of Efteling Grand Hotel started at the end of last year. The building will have seven floors and will be 106 meters wide. There is room for 700 beds. The hotel will have a copper roof with seven towers. In addition, the new hotel will have a swimming pool and sauna, two restaurants and two souvenir shops.
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