The Municipality of The Hague is collaborating with Stedin and TenneT on the construction of a new main distribution substation in The Hague Southwest. The substation will be located on the edge of the ZKD (Zichtenburg Kerketuinen Dekkershoek) business park, between De Werf and Lozerlaan. A new main distribution substation strengthens The Hague’s power grid and is part of the solution to grid congestion.
The new main distribution station is necessary to eventually supply power to 60,000 households and businesses in The Hague Southwest. Power supply is a crucial prerequisite for the further development of facilities and business activity in the area. The main distribution station is being designed in consultation with the municipality and stakeholders from the surrounding area. Once completed, the site will be taken over by grid operator Stedin. The station is part of a larger national program in which grid operators are constructing additional main distribution stations to make the electricity grid future-proof.
Due to the growing demand for electricity, the grid in many parts of the Netherlands is under pressure. The Municipality of The Hague therefore considers it necessary to reserve capacity for this in advance, together with grid operators.
Alderman Co Engberts (Southwest) emphasizes the importance of timely investments in the power grid: “The Hague, together with Tennet and Stedin, is committed to resolving grid congestion. As a municipality, we must think ahead regarding the power supply for many years to come. Only by making room for grid expansion at an early stage can we continue to enable housing construction, social facilities, and future business activity.”
Regional Director Maarten Bijl of grid operator Stedin: “Finding a location for cables and a distribution station in a busy city like The Hague requires careful planning and measurement. It demands choices and, above all, decisiveness. And that is why we are very pleased with this decision. It is exactly what we need to prepare the electricity grid for the future. We need this kind of decisiveness in more places in The Hague to enable growth and sustainability.”
Sustainability
The extra capacity on the power grid is also needed to meet the city’s sustainable ambitions, continues Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition): “As a city, we want to be less dependent on fossil fuels. That requires a more powerful electricity grid than currently exists.”
“The energy transition requires more than good intentions; a robust electricity grid is needed that can support our sustainable ambitions. A new main distribution station is indispensable in this regard. If we want thousands of homes and businesses in Southwest The Hague to be able to switch to clean mobility, local generation, and sustainable heat, the grid must be able to handle that growth. This station therefore forms a crucial link in enabling a future in which The Hague can be completely gas-free,” says Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition).
The municipal council still has to make a final decision on this matter. Together with Stedin and the other parties involved, the municipality is continuing the preparatory work to achieve the planned realization of the main distribution station. Stedin is expected to commission the station between 2033 and 2035.
Text: Gemeente Den Haag
Translation to English: The Hague Online