Frequently Asked Questions - TenneT

A Transmission System Operator, such as TenneT, is the administrator of the national transmission grid. In each European country, one or more TSOs ensure that the electricity transmission grid remains in good condition and that the transmission takes place as intended. 

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TenneT’s statutory duties include administering the national transmission grid and maintaining the necessary energy balance in the Dutch electricity grid. It is crucial that activities such as these are performed by an impartial and independent party, i.e. TenneT.

The rules of conduct applicable to TenneT and all other grid administrators and connected parties have been laid down in laws and regulations (Electricity Act, Codes). Individual market parties are not given preferential treatment of any kind and all market parties have the same information at their disposal.

TenneT currently manages the 380/220 kV grid throughout the Netherlands, and the 150 kV grid in the province of Zuid-Holland. The Segmentation Act will give the administrator of the national high-voltage grid (i.e. TenneT TSO) the responsibility of managing all grids with a voltage level of 110 kV or higher. 

By taking this measure we are able to work on a better security of the electricity supply, because a single party will become responsible for managing those transmission grids that are crucial to the supply of electricity (new construction, maintenance, etc.). Furthermore, any (potential) calamities can be dealt with centrally and therefore resolved more quickly and efficiently. It will also be easier to resolve bottlenecks and limit any damage to society.

TenneT has been given certain statutory tasks under the Electricity Act 1998. Our core task is to provide an effective, sustainable and reliable supply of electricity. The government is required to monitor TenneT’s fulfilment of the tasks assigned by law. TenneT is accountable to the Office of Energy Regulation (DTe), the energy market regulator. Among other things this means TenneT requests DTe’s approval each year for the tariffs for system services and transmission services.

TenneT plays a central role for Dutch society in the electricity market. We have been assigned a number of important tasks aimed at realising efficient market operation and transparency. TenneT’s primary statutory duties are the administration of the national transmission grid and the maintenance of the necessary energy balance in the Dutch electricity grid; these are TenneT’s regulated activities. Apart from its regulated activities, TenneT now also has several new responsibilities which derive from its role as a TSO, i.e. supporting the market and ensuring that it operates smoothly; these are the non-regulated activities.

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Electricity is an essential part of our daily lives. In the Netherlands, you can trust that power is always available to everyone – partly thanks to TenneT. TenneT is the designated administrator of the national 220 kV and 380 kV high‑voltage grids. TenneT’s role has been laid down in the Netherlands Electricity Act (1998).

TenneT's main regulated tasks are:

• monitoring the continuity of the electricity supply in the Netherlands in order to safeguard the security of supply;
• maintaining a balance between the supply of and demand for electricity;
• ensuring that electricity transmissions take place as intended;
• making the national transmission grid available to market parties in an impartial manner;
• managing the 380 kV and 220 kV transmission grids in the Netherlands and the 150 kV grid in the province of Zuid-Holland;
• maintaining joint ventures with foreign TSOs and industry organisations in the Netherlands in order to perform our duties properly. 

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Apart from its regulated activities, TenneT has several new responsibilities which derive from its role as a TSO, i.e. supporting the market and ensuring that it operates smoothly. Because of its independent position, TenneT is particularly suitable for performing these activities. We apply clear-cut criteria as to whether or not we should take on particular additional activities. They should in any event contribute to the enhancement of the transparency and efficiency of the Dutch energy market or to the environmental quality of energy. The non-regulated activities support the statutory tasks and do not in any way impinge on them. They must not be allowed to compromise TenneT’s quality or its independence.

The non-regulated activities are carried out by APX Group, EEeXchange B.V., CertiChange B.V., NLink International B.V., Elined B.V., European Energy Auction B.V. and minority interests in Endex B.V., HGRT and Powernext.

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On 20 December 2005, TenneT changed its company structure by effecting a legal demerger. By means of an amendment to the articles of association, TenneT Transmission System Operator B.V. was converted into a holding company, i.e. TenneT Holding B.V. In addition, a new company was established, named TenneT TSO B.V. This subsidiary of TenneT Holding B.V. acquired all assets of the former TenneT Transmission System Operator B.V. TenneT TSO B.V. is the designated administrator of the national high-voltage grid and the 150 kV grid in the province of Zuid-Holland. One of the reasons for the establishment of the holding structure was to achieve a transparent separation of regulated and non-regulated activities.

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Since October 2001, TenneT has been fully owned by the State of the Netherlands, whether directly or indirectly. The interests of TenneT are looked after by the Ministry of Finance.

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No, it doesn’t. TenneT merely transmits energy via its transmission grid. TenneT does not transmit the energy all the way to your home; this is done via distribution grids at lower voltages administered by the regional grid administrators themselves. 

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Yes. TenneT publishes a corporate brochure, a brochure about electromagnetic fields and a brochure about Wintrack, a new concept developed for high?voltage lines with a much smaller magnetic field than existing lines. Every year we also publish an annual report, a report entitled ‘Transport on Balance’ and various technical publications. Our Capacity Plan appears once every two years.

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Requests can be submitted via the Service Centre. The Corporate Affairs/Communication department (CZK/COM) will decide whether your request can be granted.

For more information please contact the TenneT Service Centre (see 'In general').

First you should try and find out the possible cause. If you are not able to find the cause, please dial 0800-9009, the national telephone number for gas and power failures. If the disruption has a regional cause, the regional grid administrator will probably be your first point of contact. TenneT will only be able to help solve the problem if it concerns a fault in a whole province or more. If such circumstances, you will also have to contact the national telephone number: 0800-9009.

If you have any questions, you can phone our Service Centre (see 'In general'). Our staff there will be happy to help. Alternatively, you can send us an e-mail.

This question is difficult to answer; it depends on the situation. In practice, most faults occur in grids upto 150 kV.

That depends on where you live or where your business is located. You can find out who your regional grid administrator is by consulting your documentation concerning delivery and transmission of electricity, contacting your electricity supplier or consulting the website of the Office of Energy Regulation, DTe. (only available in Dutch).

Any claims for damage must be submitted to the grid administrator of the grid to which you are connected. This also applies when the power failure originated in another grid. After all, you have concluded a connection and transmission agreement with the grid administrator of the grid to which you are connected.

That depends on various factors. A first requirement is that compensation is only awarded if the damage is the direct and necessary result of the power failure and if you can demonstrate the existence and scope of the damage convincingly (i.e. supported by documentation).

Yes, liability for damages is usually:

• excluded for large business users, and:
• mutually limited for private consumers and small business users. Among other things, the general terms and conditions of your contract limit the mutual liability between you and your grid administrator (and your electricity supplier). The general terms and conditions also define a minimum and maximum amount you can claim in damages. 

You can check your contract(s) for the exact damage compensation provisions concluded between you and your grid administrator (and electricity supplier). Of course, you can also contact your grid administrator and/or electricity supplier for more information.

The damage compensation scheme is an arrangement whereby the grid administrator, with some exceptions, awards a fixed compensation to users connected to its grid in the event of interruptions in the transmission service that last longer than four hours and are caused by a power failure. The compensation scheme shall not be construed as an admission of liability. The height of the compensation depends on the capacity of the connection. The standard compensation awarded to consumers is EUR 35.00 per event (as of 3 May 2006).

The compensation scheme does not apply if the interruption in the transmission service originates in the grid of a grid administrator other than your own grid administrator, or is the result of an automatic downward adjustment of the voltage level or a manual downward adjustment of the voltage level upon request from the administrator of the national high-voltage grid.

If you think that a grid administrator has wrongfully rejected your claim for damages (or if you have other complaints), you can submit your complaint to the Water and Energy Arbitration Committee if you are a household user, or to the Energy Arbitration Committee if you are a business user. Both committees can be reached at the following address:

 P.O. Box 90600
 2509 LP The Hague, The Netherlands
 Tel.: +31 70 310 53 10
 Fax: +31 70 365 88 14
 www.geschillencommissie.nl.

If you are dissatisfied with the service provided by a grid administrator, you can report this to the industry regulator, the Office of Energy Regulation (DTe), which can be reached at 0800 0231 885.

You can submit your complaint to the TenneT Service Centre through the complaint form.

Various courses of study can lead to a career at TenneT. Our organisation offers administrative and secretarial jobs and positions in the field of law and economics, as well as technical and managerial positions, ranging from intermediate vocational education (MBO) level to university level. The specific educational requirements for each position are described in the relevant vacancy.

If you cannot find a suitable position in our vacancies overview or if you have doubts about the extent to which your education prepares you for the work that we do, please contact us by sending an e-mail to sollicitatie@tennet.org.

At TenneT, you can draw up your own work schedule. This enables you to gear your working hours to your personal circumstances. Compensation for child care expenses, a favourable number of leave days, reduction of working hours and flexible terms of employment – you can make use of all these fringe benefits. And of course we offer excellent study facilities, where you can work on developing your career.

Certainly. You can always send an unsolicited job application to the Human Resources department. Please send your application to the following address:

TenneT TSO B.V.
Attn. Human Resources Department
P.O. Box 718
6800 AS Arnhem, The Netherlands
Telephone +31 26 373 16 26
E-mail: sollicitatie@tennet.org.

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