Dutch grid operator Liander says new customers seeking high-voltage connections in 16 municipalities in the eastern province of Gelderland will be placed on a waiting list from January 1, 2027. The operator says there is not enough capacity to connect them without putting the grid’s reliability under excessive strain. Applicants are expected to wait until at least July 1, 2027.

The restriction applies to new connection requests. Housing projects registered before July 1, 2026, are exempt, provided there is sufficient capacity on the local electricity grid. Liander will work with transmission system operator TenneT in spring to assess how much capacity could become available from July 2027. The consequences for individual customers and regions are still being worked out.

In a separate update published at the end of October, Liander identified 14 new bottlenecks on its network where maximum connection capacity had been reached for customers with large-scale consumption connections, defined as more than 3 x 80 amperes. Eleven concerned electricity consumption, two concerned feed-in, and one affected both. Friesland had five bottlenecks, while Gelderland and North Holland each had four and Flevoland had one.

Liander says some customers on waiting lists in other parts of Gelderland and in Flevopolder may still be connected from January 1, 2027, where TenneT’s high-voltage network has capacity. Available capacity will be distributed under the national prioritisation framework, which first favours measures needed for grid safety and parties that help ease congestion. Public infrastructure, including hospitals, police and fire stations, housing, drinking water and sewage facilities, is prioritised next.

Liander CTO Joris de Groot said the operator had secured flexible capacity but not enough to meet demand, and would continue working with TenneT, public authorities and customers to find additional capacity and speed up grid expansion. The operator also pointed to efforts to use existing infrastructure more efficiently and investigate how much capacity can be made available within responsible limits.

Sources: pv magazine.