Because the power grid is subject to maximum load due to our growing energy consumption, companies that want to establish themselves on business park Boekelermeer in Alkmaar and Heiloo are not eligible for a large user connection for the time being. Logistiekbedrijf Stad Alkmaar Logistics is severely affected by this: “The day we signed for the purchase of a plot, we read that Liander no longer connects large users until 2025.”
Liander announced this morning that the energy supplier invests more than a billion euros in the expansion of the power network in North Holland. With this, Liander wants to avoid long waiting times for connection to the electricity grid or for the charging station in your front yard.
But that doesn’t happen on time everywhere, because the company Stad Alkmaar Logistics is already dealing with such a long waiting time. Lars Schuurman, fifth generation within the family business, says that the company needs about 2,000 kilowatts, among other things to charge their electric trucks. “A correct connection can be installed for us in the Boekelermeer, but for the time being we simply do not receive more than 130 kilowatts.”
“We can charge one – at most two – cars at night, which means that we cannot make the sustainability drive that we had planned,” says Schuurman. “Electric vehicles are getting more and more interesting and politics wants everyone off gas, but if you can’t get the necessary amount of power, everything will fall apart.”
Didn’t think about it
That is also what Rob van der Wal of the entrepreneurs’ association in Heiloo says: “The government forces us to become more sustainable, but has not thought about the way to get there.” He regularly speaks with entrepreneurs who run into the same problem as Schuurman.
“If you install a number of neighborhood batteries or a battery storage facility, you can use your own generated energy”
“Of course we mediate as much as possible with government institutions that are designated for this,” says Van der Wal. “But Liander cannot deliver and you are tied hand and foot due to privatization and the energy law.”
While the solution is ‘in principle very simple’, says Van der Wal. “If you install a number of neighborhood batteries or a battery storage facility, you can have the solar panels absorb the peak on the electrical network and use your own generated energy.”
1,500 homes
Stad Alkmaar Logistics keeps this as a solution, although it is not cheap: “We have investigated how much energy we will need in the next five to ten years. That is easily 1,000 solar panels, a power management system and batteries that store the energy.” said Schuurman. He continues: “Because this comes with a considerable price tag, we hope to be able to make use of subsidies for this.”
“There must be 1,500 homes and in principle we have sold the land, but if we still cannot get enough power next year, the sale will not go through”
If all that does not work, according to Schuurman, there is nothing for it but to stay at the current location in former Overdie for the time being. “There are housing plans for 1,500 homes waiting for this area and we have sold the land in principle. But if we still cannot get the necessary power by the summer of 2023, the sale will not go through. That would be a shame.”
Guiding companies
In answering questions from the Independent Party of Alkmaar about this issue, the Municipal Executive says that the lack of electricity on the Boekelermeer is caused by a middle station in Oterleek struggling with a shortage of transport capacity.
“Although enough electricity is available, it cannot be transported to the Boekelermeer due to the limited capacity of Oterleek station,” said the council.
Liander expects the problem to be resolved by 2025. From that moment on, companies will be able to obtain a large-scale consumer connection again. Until then, the municipality says it will guide companies that want to establish themselves with the ‘inventory of their energy needs and choice of appropriate measures’.
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