How do you keep growing when the electricity grid is full?

Je hebt plannen: elektrificeren, uitbreiden, verduurzamen. En dan komt het antwoord van de netbeheerder: wachtrij, geen transportcapaciteit, of "we onderzoeken het."

Mar 18, 2026

How do you keep growing when the electricity grid is full?

You have plans: electrification, expansion, sustainability. And then comes the answer from the grid operator: waiting list, no transport capacity, or “we are looking into it.”
Energy suddenly changes from a prerequisite to a strategic bottleneck.

Grid congestion is now a reality in large parts of the Netherlands: at peak moments, the demand for electricity transport is higher than the grid can handle, meaning new connections or upgrades may end up on a waiting list. Yet the conversation within organizations often remains too small: “Can we speed up somewhere?” or “Can’t we just get a bigger connection?”

The better question is: how do you make your operation agile in a world where grid capacity is scarce?

Why network congestion is such a persistent problem (and why 'more cable' can't be your plan)

Network congestion feels like something external. And to some extent, it is. But organizations that handle this well make one mental switch: You don't manage energy consumption, you manage energy demand at the right moment. Because congestion often isn't about your annual consumption, but about peaks: when you consume or return a lot at the same time. And that's where the opportunities lie.

The three patterns that cause network congestion to halt organizations

1) Growth and sustainability are equated with “more capacity”

Many projects start from the assumption: more electricity = more contract capacity = done.
But grid congestion destroys that linear thinking. In many places, extra transport capacity is simply not (quickly) available, causing plans to be delayed or put on hold.

The consequence: energy becomes a hindrance to output, not because you can’t purchase enough energy, but because you can’t transport it at the moments you need it.

2) Organizations do not see their own peaks (or too late)

In most companies, energy is “a monthly bill,” not a steering variable.
As a result, you miss:

when peaks occur (and why),
which assets/processes cause the peak,
whether that peak can be shifted, flattened, or absorbed internally.

Without this insight, grid congestion becomes a kind of fate. While in many cases you do have levers.

3) People are looking for one technical silver bullet

“Then we’ll set up a battery.”
“Then we’ll do load shedding.”
“Then we’ll participate in congestion management.”

All possible routes, but they only work if they are part of one coherent plan: measure → control → secure. Otherwise, you get an expensive solution that does not land in the operation.

1) Growth and sustainability are equated with “more capacity”

The consequence: energy becomes a hindrance to output, not because you can’t purchase enough energy, but because you can’t transport it at the moments you need it.

2) Organizations do not see their own peaks (or too late)

In most companies, energy is “a monthly bill,” not a steering variable.
As a result, you miss:

when peaks occur (and why),
which assets/processes cause the peak,
whether that peak can be shifted, flattened, or absorbed internally.

Without this insight, grid congestion becomes a kind of fate. While in many cases you do have levers.

3) People are looking for one technical silver bullet

“Then we’ll set up a battery.”
“Then we’ll do load shedding.”
“Then we’ll participate in congestion management.”

All possible routes, but they only work if they are part of one coherent plan: measure → control → secure. Otherwise, you get an expensive solution that does not land in the operation.

What is actually needed then? A strategy that starts with flexibility.

Essentially, you have three ways to deal with grid congestion:

Reduce peak demand (peak shaving)
Shift peaks (load shifting)
Absorb peaks internally (storage/alternative generation/control)

And very importantly: you don't have to do this as an "all or nothing" approach. Most organizations already gain a lot with a few targeted interventions.

Step 1 — Make your energy profile manageable (not just visible)

If you take away one principle: management only works when you link energy to your process.
So not just a graph of kWs, but answers to questions like:

Which installations cause the top-3 peaks?
Which peaks are “must-have” for output, and which are timing/comfort?
Which peaks are associated with startup, changeover, or cleaning?
What happens if we shift this step by 30–60 minutes?

That is the difference between “energy monitoring” and “energy as a steering instrument.”

Step 2 — First activate the ‘low complexity’ flexibility

Before you think about large investments: look at measures that often deliver value quickly:

Start/stop logic and sequencing (not starting everything at once)
Smart planning of energy-intensive steps (compressors, ovens, cooling, charging processes)
Bandwidth control: lowering within safe limits during peak hours
Peak alarm (real-time signals for operators/TD)

This is exactly why congestion management in the Netherlands focuses on spreading the load: companies are asked to temporarily use or supply less during busy times (“avoid peak hours”).

Step 3 — Understand congestion management: an opportunity, but not always a solution

Congestion management is a temporary way to better utilize existing network capacity until the grid is expanded.
Sometimes this means: offering voluntary flexible capacity. In certain phases, participation can also become mandatory, depending on the congestion area and the rules of the grid operator.

Important: congestion management requires that you can deliver flexibility reliably. That is not an Excel arrangement, that is operational control.

Step 4 — Only after that: invest in buffering (battery/storage) or alternatives

Battery storage can play a strong role, especially for:

smoothing peaks,
internally balancing generation and consumption,
preventing exceedances.

But storage is rarely the first step. The business case stands or falls with:

how well you have already reduced your peak,
how predictable your flexibility is,
what contract forms and rates apply.

RVO also describes this as part of solution directions for companies: smarter organization of energy supply, flexibility, and (where applicable) storage.