Support for customers in making choices
We want to make it more attractive for customers to use energy when supplies are plentiful, and to feed power back into the grid when supplies are low. This can be done for example through solutions aimed at better utilisation of the existing network, such as connecting up the reserve capacity in power stations. Better utilisation can also be achieved through flex-markets, congestion management and better switching between substations. We also encourage the establishment of local energy markets and energy hubs. These unlock the potential of different forms of sustainable energy, and link producers directly with customers. Energy hubs optimise the use of locally generated sustainable energy and reduce the risks of network congestion. As a neutral market facilitator, we also want to make it possible for customers to have control over their own data and decide who has access to it. For example, a customer can choose to share data with a service provider, which then automatically controls the home battery based on current market prices. Such solutions make it possible to utilise grid capacity better, avoid peak loads and design an optimal energy system.
Rising number of renewable feed-in customers
Each year, we connect more charging points, wind turbines and solar farms to the power grid. Green gas producers are also increasingly turning to us for connections so that they can feed their sustainable gas into the natural gas network. In 2021, we again saw an increase in the number of registered connections with an active feed-in installation in our service area, from 494,000 to approximately 618,000 (up 25%). That represents 10.6% of our total connections.
Sustainable developments in our service area
Solar energy installed capacity
3,444 MW in 2020
Wind energy installed capacity
1,714 MW in 2020
Quantity of green gas fed in
54.9 million m3 in 2020
Number of public charging points
8,459 in 2020
Electrification in the area of mobility
The growth in the electrification of passenger cars, public transport, vans and trucks is accelerating. In 2021, we connected 2,136 public charging points (2020: 2,400). In the period up to and including 2025, we expect to connect an additional 88,000 EV charging points in Liander's service area. In other words, the energy transition will literally be visible on almost every street corner. In many places, the roads will have to be dug up in the coming years and more transformer substations, charging points and other infrastructure will be installed. Liander is collaborating with market parties in pilot projects at various places in the country in order to assess the added value of lampposts containing charging points for electric cars. To continue to facilitate the growing demand for charging infrastructure in the long term and to keep it affordable, Liander advocates adopting a coordinated approach at the national, regional and local levels and incorporating the requirements in spatial policy.