Allocation has been completed for 2.3GW of available capacity.
The available capacity totals 9.1 GW, split between 4 GW on the 380,000 and 220,000-volt grids and 5.1 GW on the 150,000 and 110,000-volt grids, with the latter allocated by province or region. TenneT has already assigned 2.3 GW, and the remaining capacity will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, prioritizing societal needs. The company plans to contact all interested parties to offer this solution.
Under TDTR contracts, customers connected to TenneT’s high-voltage grid can transport electricity for a set number of hours annually, guaranteed at least 85% of the time. For the remaining 15%, TenneT may restrict electricity use or input during peak demand, notifying users a day in advance. This flexibility addresses a surge in demand, with current peak usage at 19 GW, projected to reach 27 GW by 2030. Meanwhile, applications for TDTR capacity have exceeded 70 GW, driven largely by large battery farms.
Maarten Abbenhuis, TenneT’s chief operations officer, emphasized the dual approach: “We are working on expanding the electricity grid throughout the Netherlands. We also need to use the grid more intelligently and make better use of the remaining capacity outside peak hours. Today we are taking a big step in this direction. We have more than 9 gigawatts to allocate to our customers on the waiting list. That is a huge amount!” This strategy combines grid expansion with smarter usage to meet growing energy needs.
TenneT estimates that users adopting TDTR contracts could reduce grid tariffs by up to 65% through off-peak usage and smart tariff management. While demand for the 70 GW of requested capacity is high, the company projects that by 2030, economically feasible flexible capacity for large-scale batteries will be around 5 GW. This initiative offers a practical solution for managing grid saturation while supporting the Netherlands’ energy transition, benefiting both high-energy users and overall grid efficiency.
