Overview
Grid ownership
The Dutch electricity grid is owned by the SO’s (System Operators). In the Netherlands there is only one TSO (Transmission System Operator): TenneT, operating the HV grid and connectors, and six DSO’s (Distribution System Operators): Liander, Stedin, Enexis Netbeheer, Rendo Netbeheer, Westland Infra Netbeheer en Coteq Netbeheer, operating the MV and LV grids and connectors. All northern islands (De Waddeneilanden) fall under Liander. The southern islands (the Zeeland islands) fall under Stedin.
Island interconnection
All EU islands are connected to the mainland grid.
The Dutch Caribbean Islands (Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba), which are part ‘special municipalities’ of the Netherlands are not connected to the mainland grid.
They each have a public grid, operated by Energy Companies, which are not unbundled.
Island relevant TSOs and DSOs
The northern islands are served by the DSO Liander. The connections between de mainland and the islands are mostly MV connections, which are also operated by Liander. By exemption the HV connection between the mainland and Texel (the largest of the Dutch Wadden islands) is also operated by DSO Liander.
The grids on the southern islands are operated by Stedin. Here, however, the HV grid, which is integrated with the mainland grid, is operated by TenneT.
The Dutch Caribbean Islands are operated by local DSO’s:
• Bonaire: WEB (Water- and Energy Company Bonaire) in collaboration with Dutch DSO Stedin. WEB is an integrated company taking care of distribution and supply.
• Saint Eustatius: STUCO (Statia Utility Company). STUCO is an integrated company taking care of production, distribution and supply
• Saba: Saba Electric Company (SEC)
These DSOs are integrated energy companies, responsible for electricity production, supply and distribution and are thus not unbundles.
Development of electricity grids for RES integration
The Dutch legislation does not include special grid development rules for RES integration. If however, a connection is not provided for technical or safety reasons, the DSO must report to the ACM how these technical or safety issue will be solved.
Specifications for islands, isolated grids, microgrids, local grids, etc.
The Dutch legislation does not contain any specific provision or regulation for islands or any other local grids, other than the Closed Distribution System and the Direct Line.
From 2014 till 2018 however the Experiments Electricity Act – Decree allowed for exemptions from certain provisions in the electricity law, including the exemption allowing energy communities to own and operate their own grid. This however resulted in only eleven so called ‘project grids’.
For the Caribbean islands a separate Act has been formulated: The Electricity and Water Act BES. This act allows integrated energy companies, as these islands are too small to establish efficient unbundling of distribution or transmission system operation and electricity production and supply.