Electricity supply issues will hit housing development, builders say

New housing under construction in Amsterdam. Photo: Dutch News
New housing under construction in Amsterdam. Photo: DutchNews.nl

Government targets on new housing construction will be hit by a shortage of capacity on the electricity grid and long waiting lists for new connections, construction sector lobby group Bouwend Nederland has said.

In some cases, large projects are already being delayed because of the shortage of capacity and building firms are being forced to work with diesel generators. Around half of construction companies report facing delays in mains supplies which means projects are taking longer to be completed.

The Netherlands’ once stable electricity infrastructure has been ‘turned upside down’ by the decision to phase out gas and focus on electricity for heating and cooking, spokesman Harold Lever told the Financieele Dagblad on Monday.

‘The war in Ukraine and gas crisis have only added to that,’ he said. ‘Industry also wants to speed up its switch to electricity and that means there is less capacity for others.’

Bouwend Nederland says the policy of ‘first come first served’ should be abandoned, with priority given to residential construction projects rather than factories or data centres.

Gas free

In July, the Telegraaf reported that a new residential neighbourhood in Westzaan, where the homes are gas free and have solar panels and heat pumps, is currently getting its electricity from a diesel generator because it has not been connected to the national grid.

Problems with electricity supplies are not the only issues which may hit the government’s plans to develop 900,000 new homes by 2030. Drinking water firms have also warned that they may not be able to supply the new residential areas because of potential shortages.

MPs are due to debate the Dutch energy supply system on Wednesday.

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