New high voltage substations in Westland area taken into operation
23-06-2010
Westland Infra / TenneT
On Wednesday 23 June, two new high‑voltage substations in the Westland area were officially taken into operation by outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs Maria van der Hoeven. This expansion of the physical infrastructure once again provides sufficient capacity for horticultural businesses to supply locally produced electricity back to the national grid, without being subject to the restrictions of the congestion management system. In this way, they can make a substantial contribution towards achieving the government’s CO2 reduction targets.
The two new high‑voltage substations form an important link between the Westland area and the national high‑voltage grid. In the past few years, increasing numbers of growers have taken advantage of the opportunity to generate electricity in so‑called combined heat and power (CHP) plants. As such, the glasshouse horticulture sector currently accounts for 13 percent (3300 MW) of total electricity production capacity in the Netherlands. Total capacity in the Westland area has risen from 150 MW in 2005 to more than 800 MW in 2010.
Investing in grid infrastructure
In the past few years, TenneT has invested heavily in grid infrastructure in order to meet this increasing demand for electricity transmission. Several new cable links have been installed, including one to The Hague. In addition, the new high‑voltage substations at Westerlee and De Lier were completed at an accelerated pace. Approx. 80 million euro in total was invested in the two substations. The construction of Westerlee substation required the transport of a massive transformer. Because local electricity production in this region exceeds local consumption levels by a factor of two or more, regional grid operator Westland Infra also made significant investments in the regional transmission grid.
Congestion management system no longer needed
Pending completion of the grid expansion project, TenneT and Westland Infra developed and implemented an innovative system in record time with the aim of making more efficient use of the existing (regional) grid. This solution is known as ‘congestion management’ and works much like a traffic feeder system on the motorway. Thanks to this system, dozens of horticultural businesses could be linked up to the grid even before the grid’s physical capacity had been expanded. Although the congestion management system functioned well, it is no longer necessary thanks to the recently completed grid expansion. TenneT and Westland Infra have gained a great deal of valuable experience in devising and operating this system.
