Didier Barrois, senior advisor strategy and programme manager, Brainport Development
Brainport Eindhoven supports and encourages cooperation between companies, universities and research institutes to accelerate technological innovations. In the Southeast Brabant region, with Eindhoven at its core, we help companies to become more sustainable, grow and remain internationally competitive in order to continue offering broad employment opportunities.
One of the biggest challenges we face today is grid congestion: an overload of the power grid. Remarkably, this is partly a luxury problem. Economic growth - especially in the hi-tech sector - has been so strong that investment in energy infrastructure has not kept pace.
With sustainability and electrification, the demand for power has exploded. Companies want to become more sustainable, but the infrastructure cannot cope with the demand. This creates queues for new connections that are often longer than elsewhere in the Netherlands. Some 600 megawatts of power are currently on the waiting list in the region. In comparison, there are plans to make only an additional 200 megawatts available from 2028. Some of this may be absorbable with solutions such as peak shaving, more efficient consumption, and the use of self-generated energy. But ultimately, grid reinforcement will also be needed to cope with demand.
This is problematic. Companies now have to make choices about investments for the coming years, while realising major grid reinforcements usually takes about 10. This mismatch is disastrous for our region's growth potential.
In recent years, grid congestion has become a central pillar of my work. Together with colleagues, I develop collective solutions, including energy hubs: partnerships at business parks in which companies coordinate their energy generation, storage and consumption.
Such a hub offers many advantages. Energy consumption can be spread more intelligently to avoid peak loads without affecting the production process. An example: if a company has three cleanrooms, they may not all need to start at 8.00 am at the same time. Spreading usage prevents peaks and reduces the load on the grid. We also look with companies at saving energy and using self-generated energy.
A number of sectors and niches will be crucial for the Dutch economy in the coming years. These include high-end technology such as semiconductors, photonics, smart grids, automotive, food tech, healthtech and energy technology. Combined with emerging digital technologies such as AI, big data and - in time - quantum computing, these sectors offer huge growth opportunities. If we do not create space and support for them now, we risk losing these opportunities and causing economic damage.
Companies are already hearing that they cannot be connected until 2033 - these are unacceptably long timescales. Companies are being restricted in their development. New production lines are postponed or set up elsewhere and sustainability measures cannot be implemented. The current situation calls for sharp strategic choices. What we leave out now, we will not catch up with in 10 years' time. Unfortunately, we are already seeing companies postponing their expansion plans or implementing them elsewhere - in Poland, for instance - because they cannot be connected here in the short term. That also means the loss of investment and jobs.
Companies want to invest, but need clarity on the framework conditions. And right now, energy supply is the stumbling block. As a result, boards of international companies doubt whether the Netherlands is still attractive as a business location. The reason? Lack of clarity on crucial preconditions - especially in the field of energy supply.
Grid congestion is not just a capacity issue; it is also an organisational issue. There is much to be gained by using energy smarter. Many companies are only now realising that they themselves can also play a role by planning consumption better and organising energy-intensive processes differently.
The great thing is: this forces organisations to scrutinise their processes. Where is unnecessary consumption? What can be done more efficiently? These questions have now penetrated to the highest level: it is on the board's agenda.
Sometimes this leads to surprising conclusions. In some cases, for instance, it makes more sense to temporarily still use gas if that yields a more sustainable outcome in the long run. The energy transition thus requires customisation, flexibility and the courage to deviate from dogma.
The Netherlands has historically been a 'gas country', while France has traditionally been an 'electricity country' that has always consumed less gas and has an extensive electrical infrastructure. As a result, France currently seems to suffer less from grid congestion. Of course, the Netherlands is not the only country with grid problems - Belgium and Germany also suffer from them. Still, there is a risk of companies leaving for the US or Asia, where energy access is often better regulated. We need to do something in return, and we do that through cooperation, innovation and acceleration.
The situation requires more than just technical solutions. It also requires a cultural shift: companies need to start thinking more from a collective interest perspective. Not just "what do I need?", but "how can we solve it together?" This requires cooperation between companies, governments and grid operators.
Yet I still regularly hear the question, "How quickly can I get extra power?" The honest answer is often: five to six years. The astonishment that then follows - "That's not possible, is it?" - shows that awareness of the seriousness of the situation has not yet penetrated everywhere.
Although I have no technical background myself, I have learned that you can achieve a lot with dedication and curiosity. The same applies to companies. If I could get a grip on this complex matter within six months, so can they. You don't need to be an engineer to understand how to use energy smarter.
Especially in a technical region like Brainport, there is the knowledge, willpower and cooperation to meet this challenge. Grid congestion is not a temporary hurdle; it is a structural change. But it is also one that - if handled properly - can actually let us emerge from the situation stronger, smarter and more sustainable.
Didier Barrois is senior advisor strategy and programme manager of the Urban Development Initiative (UDI) at Brainport Development in Eindhoven, focusing on implications of the region's spatial-economic strategy, with a special focus on grid congestion. Didier is responsible for the programme of the Urban Development Initiative, which has developed a specific programme line on energy transition in cooperation with TU/e, TNO, local authorities and industry.
Mark Harbers, Chairman of Techniek Nederland, recently made it clear that smart control of existing installations in buildings can reduce peak loads on the electricity grid by up to 25%. He stressed that the engineering sector - with the help of energy hubs, megabatteries and intelligent energy management systems, among others - can make better use of the grid, without having to make major infrastructure modifications first.
Harbers also stated that local energy exchange plays an important role in mitigating grid congestion. Techniques such as load shifting (shifting consumption to off-peak hours) and peak shaving (smoothing peaks through storage or control) can further relieve grid congestion.
HyTEPS has for years advocated 'infill' as an effective way to get more power from existing networks in the shorter term.
