Review of 2008: January

Expansion of the grids

On 1 January 2008 TenneT was made legally responsible for managing all high-voltage grids of 110 kilovolts (kV) or more. This concerned the grids previously managed by Liander, Enexis and Delta Netwerkbedrijf. The regional grid operators are transferring their management activities and customer contacts for these grids to TenneT. This expansion takes the number of grid management, maintenance and upgrade projects from 80 to more than 300.

Peak load on 22 January 2008

The peak load on the Dutch high-voltage grid in 2008 was measured at 6.00 p.m. on 22 January, as shown in the annual data published in the 'Transmission on Balance' report. At that point in time the total electricity demand on the grid amounted to 13,957 megawatts (MW). The peak load usually occurs on a winter's day between 5.30 and 6.00 p.m., when intensive use is being made of central heating and domestic and street lighting all over the country.

Interruption in the electricity supply near Maastricht

Just before 12.00 noon on 15 January, the ground wire of the 110 kV high-voltage line running from Limmel to Beek (near Maastricht) became detached, causing the line to sag over the A79 motorway. The problem was resolved before the evening rush-hour, and the supply of electricity to the region was not affected by the incident. TenneT's performance in 2008 was excellent; no disruptions in the 220/380 kV grid and only two minor ones in the 150 kV grid.