TenneT presents long-term vision for entire high-voltage grid
28-07-2010
TenneT has drawn up an adjusted long-term vision for the period until 2030, based on our studies into the long-term development of electricity transmissions over the entire high-voltage grid. The Vision 2030 report sets out TenneT’s vision for the future of all high-voltage connections with a voltage level of 110 kV up to and including 380 kV. The report also highlights possible future developments for the grid. The report shows that large-scale investments in the national high-voltage grid will be necessary over the coming years due to the extensive development of the energy market.
Two years ago, TenneT published a long-term vision for the 220 kV and 380 kV sections of the high-voltage grid. As part of the Independent Grid Management Act, TenneT has been legally responsible for the management of the 150 kV and 110 kV grids since 1 January 2008. This addition information has been included as a supplement to TenneT’s current Vision 2030 report. One of the elements studied was the number of spurs in the electricity grid. There are 82 spurs in the 110 and 150 kV grids.
Spurs and ring-shaped structures: advantages and disadvantages
Areas in which spurs are located are dependent on a single high-voltage connection for their power supply. The security of supply in these areas is more vulnerable in comparison to the majority of the high-voltage grid, which consists of ring-shaped structures. Such structures ensure that there are no lengthy power cuts during an outage. Electricity can then be diverted easily to areas that require it. The high-voltage grid’s spur in the Bommelerwaard region was cast into the public eye at the end of 2007 when it was severed by a helicopter, leaving the entire region without power for several days. Another example is the connection to Haaksbergen, which has failed numerous times in recent years due to various circumstances.
Upgrading the spurs
In collaboration with SEO, the foundation for economic research for the University of Amsterdam, TenneT has examined the possible investments that could be made in order to prevent lengthy power failures in 110 and 150 KV spurs. SEO concluded that the social benefits would not outweigh the costs involved if new investments were to be used to remove all spurs from service.
TenneT has examined the spurs from a national perspective and, over the coming years, will start to upgrade those spurs whose load exceeds 100 MW, either now or in the near future. TenneT is investing 127 million euro into this upgrade process. After implementing these measures, the total number of energy consumers in the Netherlands dependent on spurs will have decreased by around 30 percent, from 29% to 19%.
Managementsummary Vision2030 (in dutch only)
