The overcrowded electricity grid in the North Sea Canal Area (NZKG) is not only a problem in itself, but also acts as a catalyst for countless other problems in the region. Climate, economics and technical training will have to suffer from the consequences of the problems on the power network. That is what deputy Edward Stigter writes today in a letter to the House of Representatives.
In his letter, Stigter describes a comprehensive doomsday scenario such as ‘maintaining congestion on the electricity grid’. Congestion is what is known as congestion on the grid: there is too little electricity to meet the demand of companies in the NZKG.
The example of the Techlands trainer in Zaandam is extra cruising, Stigter writes. “Nota bene, a crucial trainer of technical personnel for the energy transition, cannot currently be provided with extra grid capacity. This puts the future training of already registered technology students at risk in the short term.”
A billion in investments
Other problems may deserve even more attention: the port of Amsterdam will probably miss out on more than a billion in investments due to the power congestion, Stigter thinks.
And the region’s CO2 and nitrogen targets are also at risk, the commissioner predicts. Such as the planned 55 percent CO2 reduction in 2030. “The companies that are already dealing with the congestion of the grid contribute almost 70 percent to the planned CO2 reduction of the NZKG (excluding Tata Steel).”
Extra CO2 emissions
But the electricity problems are a bottleneck for those companies. For that reason, they cannot invest in their sustainability plans, sees Stigter. And as a result, they will soon be using gas for their energy needs for longer than anticipated, which will result in additional CO2 emissions.
“We even foresee an increase in gas consumption for the temporary generation of extra electricity,” writes Stigter. “For example, at Bunge in Zaanstad, an extra gas pipeline is being installed temporarily due to congestion. This is not a development we would like to see, but unfortunately necessary.”
In his letter to the House, Stigter proposes various solutions to get the electricity distribution back on track, both in the short and long term.
‘Social choices’
For example, some of the electricity bottlenecks could be resolved relatively quickly by removing bottlenecks in legislation and regulations.
For example, due to contract rules, it is not always easy for companies to unexpectedly allow unused energy to flow to others who do need it at that time. That should change, Stigter thinks.
Also on the power network now applies: first come, first served. That can also be done differently, Stigter proposes: according to him it should be easier to make ‘social choices’, such as for the Techlands trainer.
New high voltage station
In addition, the commissioner asks the House of Representatives to release money for the development of electricity storage technology, and he encourages the speeding up of existing electricity grid projects of Tennet, in which the government is a shareholder.
He specifically mentions the plans for a new high-voltage substation to be built between Beverwijk and Vijfhuizen. According to Tennet, that will be ready in 2031, “while the region has explicitly indicated that it will need the station in 2029 to realize its ambitions,” Stigter said.