What is congestionmanagement?

The demand for capacity on the high-voltage grid has risen sharply over the past two years (2006 and 2007). Plans have been developed for the construction of large power stations as well as numerous smaller CHP plants and wind turbines. All this ‘new’ electricity will have to be transmitted across the existing high-voltage grid. In some locations, however, the grid simply does not have sufficient capacity to transmit this supply of electricity at all times.

Waiting list

Until recently electricity producers would have to wait, sometimes for several years, for the grid’s capacity to be expanded. To reduce these waiting times, parties are now being connected to the grid. If necessary, the grid capacity is distributed by means of a new congestion management system. This is essentially a market mechanism to distribute a limited amount of transmission capacity among the applicants in case of congestion. The system is aimed at preventing a situation whereby too many parties overload the national high-voltage grid simultaneously.

Fine-tuning

TenneT is currently fine-tuning the system in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Office of Energy Regulation (DTe).