Green light for grid operators' investment plans

The investment plans are intended to give the regulator (ACM), the ministry, governments and market players more insight into the investments and projects for the next 10 years. The investment plans provide insight into the bottlenecks expected in the coming years and the investments planned to remove or prevent bottlenecks. By preparing investment plans in advance, network operators provide transparency on future investments and their substantiation.

49 reactions to draft plans

The investment plans were available for inspection at the end of 2023. TenneT received views from 49 parties. These come from provinces, municipalities, interest groups and large customers, among others. A large number of responses address the proposed schedules of the projects and the date when new assets will be put into operation. Among other things, concerns are expressed about the feasibility of the plans.

A response was given to all views by TenneT. Further talks were also held with some stakeholders in response to the views. Starting this year, the progress of key infrastructure projects will also be discussed in the so-called Energy Boards, which have now been established in almost every province. In them, regional authorities work together to monitor the expansion of crucial infrastructure in the regions.

Improvement plan for future investment plans

The plans are drawn up biannually and assessed by the ACM. The regulator has given the green light to the plans. In doing so, the ACM agreed with the grid operators on an improvement path for their investment plans. Given the tightness on the electricity grid and the uncertainty this brings to businesses and households, it is important that grid operators clearly show what choices they are making and which projects they are carrying out when and why. The improvement plan is due in September.

Final plans published on website

The final 'Investment Plan on Land' and 'Investment Plan at Sea' describe the projects needed over the next ten years to make the electricity grid ready for the future. TenneT expects to carry out around 700 major infrastructure projects. These include grid extensions, replacement investments, new customer connections, offshore wind farm connections and reconstruction projects. In addition, several new power highways (380kV) will be developed over the next decade and 140 high-voltage substations will be upgraded. Offshore, the task has doubled to unlocking nearly 21 gigawatts of offshore wind.

You can read the Investment Plans in Dutch here