In 2025, we once again significantly expanded grid capacity, adding 1,260 MVA. This capacity was realised through physical grid expansion as well as capacity made available through congestion management. The total work programme for expanding and maintaining the grid amounted to €1,980 million – €494 million more than in 2024 and €180 million more than planned. This increase is a direct consequence of the energy transition.
According to our Investment Plan, we expect to invest approximately €7 billion in grid expansion and maintenance between 2026 and 2028. The plan also outlines where work will take place over the next ten years. Input for this was gathered from provinces, municipalities, and market parties, among others. Through the Provincial Multi-year Programme for Infrastructure, Energy, and Climate (pMIEK), provinces indicate which grid expansions they consider to be of greatest social importance.
Despite these extensive expansion plans, bottlenecks remain. Demand for transmission capacity is growing faster than we and the national grid operator can build. As a result, waiting lists persist, and complaints about voltage quality continue.
Neighbourhood approach accelerates implementation
In the coming years, we will build new high-voltage and medium-voltage substations. To deliver these projects as quickly and efficiently as possible, we are standardising designs and using prefabricated construction wherever feasible. In residential areas, we are upgrading existing transformers and installing new ones. In total, we will lay around 16,000 kilometres of cable. This will require opening up approximately one in three streets over the coming years. We are implementing this work through a neighbourhood-based approach, in which contractors independently handle engineering, work preparation, and execution. Clear and timely communication with local residents is essential. We therefore organise information meetings to explain the work and listen carefully to questions and concerns. In addition, we ensure that permits, spatial planning, and traffic measures are arranged well in advance.
Good agreements with local authorities are crucial to maintaining momentum, particularly when it comes to the acquisition and use of land.
Energy supply remains reliable
We ensure that our grid remains reliable and safe, even while maintenance work is being carried out. One of the tools we use to support this is Distribution Automation Light (DALI). By the end of 2025, 78% of our grid stations were equipped with this system, compared with 65% in 2024. DALI enables faults to be located quickly, allowing our colleagues to resolve them more efficiently.
In 2025, the average interruption to gas supply was 70 seconds, up from 56 seconds in 2024. Although the gas network remains highly reliable, annual outage duration can vary significantly from year to year.
For electricity, the Annual Outage Time (AOT) was 18.8 minutes in 2025, compared with 22.5 minutes in 2024.
Supplier strategy and supply chain
The energy transition requires large volumes of materials, including cables, connectors, substations, and transformers. Global demand for these products often exceeds available supply. To mitigate this, we enter into strategic partnerships with key suppliers and secure required volumes several quarters in advance. This approach also involves risks, as implementation is not always predictable, for example due to lengthy permitting procedures.
Smarter ways of working
A clear example of smarter working can be seen in our production lines, which operated at full capacity in 2025. To support this, we have introduced supply-chain innovations that enable more standardised and modular construction. This improves efficiency and reduces the workload for scarce technical staff. One example is the assembly hall for medium-voltage installations that we have established in collaboration with Siemens. At this central location, installations are fully prepared for transport and on-site installation. This significantly reduces on-site work and allows specialist personnel to work efficiently in series.
We are also scaling up our supply chain to meet growing demand. Inventory levels have increased to approximately €253 million, providing suppliers with the assurance that we can continue to supply materials to contractors and repair teams, even during periods of uncertainty.
Tenders awarded
At the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, we issued three tenders for contractors to expand and reinforce the electricity grid in North Brabant and Limburg. These tenders were awarded in 2025, after which cooperation agreements were concluded with the selected contractors. The contracts have a duration of 12 years and a combined value of almost €7 billion. Part of the work was tendered jointly with the regional water companies Brabant Water and Waterleiding Maatschappij Limburg. Enexis will work closely with the contractors to ensure continuity and reliability in implementation.