Following the announcement that The Netherlands is now rationing electricity due to the strain of electrification, energy solutions specialist Aggreko is warning that this may be a sign of what is to come in the UK, and is highlighting the key role that decentralised energy will have to play in supporting this transition.
More than 11,900 businesses, new homes, and public buildings are currently awaiting a connection to the Dutch grid, which is struggling to cope with growing demand due to its ageing cabling infrastructure. Despite investments in new substations and infrastructure, network operators say that some connections will not be available until the mid-2030s.
As a result of these issues, local leaders have raised concerns that their regions could lose investment if the connection concerns continue.
According to Craig Fleming, Utilities Sector Lead for UK & Ireland at Aggreko, The Netherlands may serve as an early warning as to what may follow in other countries. He said: “The Netherlands is a prime example of the strain that electrification can place on the grid, and what the possible consequences are for business owners and end users. Europe is home to some of the oldest electricity infrastructure in the world, so this transition is not something to be taken lightly.
“For this reason, decentralised energy will be a key asset for both network operators and industry during this transitional period. When deployed on a large scale, decentralised energy can help reduce grid intermittency, while for businesses, it can help support resilience and capacity, or bridge the gap while waiting for a grid connection to be established.”
While not yet facing electricity rationing, the UK is also facing challenges with its ageing grid infrastructure as the pace of electrification ramps up.
In the UK, many of the components in use today were installed during the post-war era, with electricity transformers being, on average, 63 years old.
To help support the integration of renewables, large-scale, gas packages can be used to deploy power where the grid requires stabilisation, providing responsive, reliable energy to combat fluctuations. These systems are ideal for balancing energy supply and demand, particularly during peak periods when additional capacity is critical. To ensure smooth synchronisation, Aggreko has achieved grid code certification for its gas-fuelled electrical generation equipment in several EU countries.
For industry, decentralised solutions such as low-emission Stage V generators, gas and battery energy storage systems (BESS) can provide supplementary or bridging power to businesses whilst wating for a grid connection, provide added resilience or let them harness current on-site generation bolstering them against grid shortfalls.
Investment in low-carbon, decentralised technologies such as these is a core pillar of Aggreko’s sustainability framework, Energising Change™, which aims to ensure that greener solutions are available to businesses throughout the energy transition.
He concluded: “It is critical that electrification is supported in order to maximise the share of renewables and minimise impact to industry. The journey to a more sustainable future will have bumps in the road, but there are solutions to ease the route while simultaneously enabling green ambitions to be achieved.”