Production and consumption of electricity is increasing
At present, the transmission capacity of the Dutch grid is insufficient to accommodate the growth in electricity production and consumption in the long term. With three cross-border electricity connections (“interconnectors”) with Germany, two with Belgium, one with Norway, and one with the United Kingdom, the Dutch grid constitutes an important “power hub” within the Northern European grid. A new Dutch-German interconnector is necessary for three reasons:
Further integration of the North-West European electricity market
An integrated North-West European electricity market is an important aim of both the European Commission and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, because electricity can then be generated at the most cost-efficient location. The new interconnector will enable the Netherlands to play a leading role in the integrated market.
Maintaining the security of supply
If a failure occurs at a large power station in the Netherlands, other power stations must be able to cope with the loss in capacity immediately. Usually this is done by a power station in the Netherlands or another country. Consequently, it is important to have sufficient cross border high-voltage connections.
More capacity for the transmission of renewable electricity
Recent years have seen a significant increase in the amount of renewable electricity generated using wind turbines and solar panels. This is obviously a positive development. If there is no wind, however, or if the wind speeds are too high, wind turbines are inactive. Similarly, solar panels will generate little or no electricity on a cloudy or foggy day. In such situations, alternative sources must be deployed quickly in order to meet the demand for electricity. This is another reason why it is necessary to increase the existing number of cross-border high-voltage connections.
The Doetinchem–Wesel electricity connection will be the fourth interconnector between the Dutch and German high-voltage grids. The importance of the interconnector has been recognized by the EU, which has designated it as a “Project of Common Interest”.