TenneT
Encyclopedia
TenneT B.V. is the national electricity transmission system operator
of the Netherlands
, headquartered in Arnhem
. Controlled and owned by the Dutch government, it is responsible for overseeing the operation of the 380 and 220 kV high-voltage grid
throughout the Netherlands and its interconnections with neighbouring countries. It is additionally responsible for the 150 kV grid in South Holland
. In Germany, it owns the transmission system operator Transpower Stromübertragungs GmbH.
As of 2006, it operates 3,286 km of lines and cables at 150 kV and above, connecting at 51 high-voltage substations
. Peak demand for 2006 was 14,846 MW. TenneT declared a turnover of €417.2 million in 2006 with a workforce of 490 employees. The sole shareholder is the Dutch Ministry of Finance
.
as a business in 2001 with the passing of the Electricity Production Sector Transition Act. Its statutory tasks included management of the national transmission grid and maintaining the balance between electrical supply and demand. In 2003, it acquired the regional system operator Transportnet Zuid-Holland.
TenneT moved beyond these regulated business
es in 2004 when it entered the gas
market by acquiring EnergieKeuze, an online gas and power contract exchange market. In 2005 TenneT further expanded its operations when, together with the Belgian and French TSOs Elia
and RTE
and the APX
and Powernext
power exchanges
, it formed the Belgian Power Exchange Belpex. This granted it a right to participate in the Belgian electricity market.
Starting from 1 January 2010, Tennet owns the German high‑voltage grid operator Transpower Stromübertragungs GmbH, formerly a part of E.ON
. The agreed value of transaction was €885 million. The company quoted several reasons for the merger, including price equalization, improved grid balancing, greater insight into grid situations, and better possibilities for sustainable development in both countries.
TenneT is a partner in European Market Coupling Company
.
undersea HVDC submarine power cable
with the Norwegian transmission operator Statnett
. Commercial operation of the link was delayed by poor weather and a break in the cable, but it eventually entered operation on the night of 6 May 2008. Connecting the Norwegian and Dutch grids at Feda
and Eemshaven
, the ±450 kV bipolar cable is, at 580 kilometres (360.4 mi), the longest undersea power line in the world. During the first two months of test operations, it generated approximately €
50 million in revenue, greatly exceeding estimates, and recovering 12% of its cost of construction.
TenneT has formed a joint venture
with the British transmission operator National Grid for a 260 kilometres (161.6 mi) 1,000 MW BritNed
DC link between the Isle of Grain
, Kent
and Maasvlakte
, near Rotterdam
. Operation is projected to begin in late 2010.
A submarine power cable to Denmark
is planned with Energinet.dk
. Its subsidiary Transpower Stromübertragungs together with Statnett
plans the NORD.LINK
cable between Norway and Germany.
Transmission system operator
File:Electricity grid simple- North America.svg|thumb|380px|right|Simplified diagram of AC electricity distribution from generation stations to consumersrect 2 243 235 438 Power stationrect 276 317 412 556 Transformer...
of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, headquartered in Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
. Controlled and owned by the Dutch government, it is responsible for overseeing the operation of the 380 and 220 kV high-voltage grid
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
throughout the Netherlands and its interconnections with neighbouring countries. It is additionally responsible for the 150 kV grid in South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
. In Germany, it owns the transmission system operator Transpower Stromübertragungs GmbH.
As of 2006, it operates 3,286 km of lines and cables at 150 kV and above, connecting at 51 high-voltage substations
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
. Peak demand for 2006 was 14,846 MW. TenneT declared a turnover of €417.2 million in 2006 with a workforce of 490 employees. The sole shareholder is the Dutch Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Finance (Netherlands)
The Ministry of Finance is the Dutch ministry of finance: it is occupied with the national budget, taxation and financial economic policy, including supervision of financial markets...
.
History
TenneT was formed in 1998 when the Dutch electricity industry was liberalised, and was incorporatedIncorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
as a business in 2001 with the passing of the Electricity Production Sector Transition Act. Its statutory tasks included management of the national transmission grid and maintaining the balance between electrical supply and demand. In 2003, it acquired the regional system operator Transportnet Zuid-Holland.
TenneT moved beyond these regulated business
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
es in 2004 when it entered the gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
market by acquiring EnergieKeuze, an online gas and power contract exchange market. In 2005 TenneT further expanded its operations when, together with the Belgian and French TSOs Elia
Elia System Operator
Elia System Operator SA is an electric power transmission system operator of Belgium.-History:Elia was created as a result of the legal unbundling in the electricity market. On 28 June 2001, Elia became the independent limited liability company. It was appointed as the federal transmission system...
and RTE
Réseau de Transport d'Électricité
Réseau de Transport d'Électricité , usually known as RTE, is the electricity transmission system operator of France...
and the APX
APX-ENDEX
APX-ENDEX is an Anglo-Dutch energy exchange operating the spot and derivatives markets for electricity and natural gas in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. Established in 1999, APX-ENDEX provides exchange trading, central clearing and settlement, and data distribution services as...
and Powernext
Powernext
Powernext is a regulated investment firm based in Paris and operating under the multilateral trading facility status. Powernext designs and operates electronic trading platforms for spot and derivatives markets in the European energy sector...
power exchanges
Electricity market
In economic terms, electricity is a commodity capable of being bought, sold and traded. An electricity market is a system for effecting purchases, through bids to buy; sales, through offers to sell; and short-term trades, generally in the form of financial or obligation swaps. Bids and offers use...
, it formed the Belgian Power Exchange Belpex. This granted it a right to participate in the Belgian electricity market.
Starting from 1 January 2010, Tennet owns the German high‑voltage grid operator Transpower Stromübertragungs GmbH, formerly a part of E.ON
E.ON
E.ON AG, marketed with an interpunct as E•ON, is the holding company of the world's largest investor-owned energy service provider based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The name comes from the Greek word aeon which means eternity....
. The agreed value of transaction was €885 million. The company quoted several reasons for the merger, including price equalization, improved grid balancing, greater insight into grid situations, and better possibilities for sustainable development in both countries.
TenneT is a partner in European Market Coupling Company
European Market Coupling Company
European Market Coupling Company, EMCC or emcc, is a provider of congestion management services for cross-border electrical interconnectors...
.
DC links
In 2006, TenneT entered into construction of the 700 MW NorNedNorNed
NorNed is a long HVDC submarine power cable between Feda in Norway and the seaport of Eemshaven in the Netherlands, which interconnects both countries' electricity grids. It is the longest submarine power cable in the world. Budgeted at €550 million, and completed at a cost of €600m, the...
undersea HVDC submarine power cable
Submarine power cable
Submarine power cables are major transmission cables for carrying electric power below the surface of the water. These are called "submarine" because they usually carry electric power beneath salt water but it is also possible to use submarine power cables beneath fresh water...
with the Norwegian transmission operator Statnett
Statnett
Statnett is a Norwegian state owned enterprise responsible for owning, operating and constructing the stem power grid in Norway. The company has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway....
. Commercial operation of the link was delayed by poor weather and a break in the cable, but it eventually entered operation on the night of 6 May 2008. Connecting the Norwegian and Dutch grids at Feda
Feda
Feda former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kvinesdal. In 2009, the village of Feda had a population of 390....
and Eemshaven
Eemshaven
thumb|right|[[Satellite]] [[image]] of the Ems [[estuary]] showing the location of Eemshaven Eemshaven is a seaport in Groningen, Netherlands....
, the ±450 kV bipolar cable is, at 580 kilometres (360.4 mi), the longest undersea power line in the world. During the first two months of test operations, it generated approximately €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
50 million in revenue, greatly exceeding estimates, and recovering 12% of its cost of construction.
TenneT has formed a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
with the British transmission operator National Grid for a 260 kilometres (161.6 mi) 1,000 MW BritNed
BritNed
BritNed is a high-voltage direct-current submarine power cable between the Isle of Grain in Kent, the United Kingdom, and Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.-History:...
DC link between the Isle of Grain
Isle of Grain
The Isle of Grain, in the north of Kent, England, is the easternmost point of the Hoo Peninsula. No longer an island, the Isle is almost all marshland and the Grain Marshes are an important habitat for birdlife...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and Maasvlakte
Maasvlakte
The Maasvlakte is part of Europoort, a harbour and industrial area near the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.-Creation:It was created in the 1960s by reclaiming land from the North Sea through dykes and sand suppletion. The sand for the suppletion was largely taken from the North Sea and the...
, near Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. Operation is projected to begin in late 2010.
A submarine power cable to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
is planned with Energinet.dk
Energinet.dk
Energinet.dk is the Danish national transmission system operator for electricity and natural gas. It is an independent public enterprise owned by the Danish state under the Ministry of Climate and Energy...
. Its subsidiary Transpower Stromübertragungs together with Statnett
Statnett
Statnett is a Norwegian state owned enterprise responsible for owning, operating and constructing the stem power grid in Norway. The company has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway....
plans the NORD.LINK
NORD.LINK
NORD.LINK is a proposed subsea HVDC power cable between Norway and Germany. The feasibility study was completed at the end of 2008. If constructed, the capacity of NORD.LINK is expected to be 1,400 MW. It is estimated to cost €1.4 billion. The interconnector is planned installed between...
cable between Norway and Germany.