No nitrogen agreements in Spring Memorandum, construction projects energy transition in ‘Danger Zone’

The increase in electricity networks can be considerably delay now that no agreements have been made about nitrogen measures in the spring memorandum. That says Netbeheer Liander. More than 300 construction projects are in the “danger zone”, says the company.

“The fact that the government does not organize a breakthrough in the nitrogen policy, but postponing is a choice with enormous consequences for the energy assignment in the Netherlands,” warns Huibert Baud, one of the directors of the network operator.

Based on the agreements in the Spring Memorandum, Liander looked at its consequences and comes to the conclusion that 317 construction projects are delayed in the best case and in the worst case cannot continue.

This mainly concerns construction projects for the increase in the electricity grid, such as the construction of thicker cables in the ground, the construction of transformer houses in neighborhoods and the construction of stations where high voltage is converted to medium or low voltage.

In January, the court in The Hague ruled in a case filed by Greenpeace that the Dutch state should do more to limit the precipitation of nitrogen on nature.

In 2030, 50 percent of the vulnerable Natura 2000 sites may no longer be overloaded by nitrogen. According to the court, that goal is on the journey if the State does not immediately take measures to limit nitrogen emissions.

Previously, the Council of State already stipulated that less may be shifted with nitrogen permits (internal nations). Following this decision, Prime Minister introduced a ministerial committee that would come up with measures. That committee would come up with a plan of action at the end of March, but that deadline was not met.

Liander was regularly able to have a construction project pass on by sliding with permits. For example, a substation in Harderwijk could be expanded last year by agreeing with the football club that two fields are not fertilized for a year. That yielded enough nitrogen gain to compensate for the nitrogen emissions of construction.

The network operator had hoped that, in the absence of quick results from the ministerial committee, there would be clear agreements in the Spring Memorandum.

Liander encounters problems, especially in Gelderland, because the Veluwe lies there, a vulnerable Natura-20000 area of ​​almost 90,000 hectares. Last week it was announced that the province of Gelderland will not process new permit applications in the next year and a half in the next year and a half for projects that release extra nitrogen.

The network operator fears that the increase in the electricity grid will get stuck in the coming period. Liander finds that acid, because “the transition to electrification directly contributes to the prevention of nitrogen emissions, such as loading electric cars”.

The network operators want an exceptional position for construction projects with which the power grid is weighted from the government. Director Baud: “Clarity from The Hague is essential for the future. Waiting with it has consequences for the power network challenges throughout the Netherlands.”