Growers turn greenhouses into power plants to ease Noord-Holland grid strain
With the electricity grid in Noord-Holland at full capacity and critical expansion projects years away, greenhouse growers are reportedly stepping in to stabilize the system by generating and absorbing power based on demand, offering temporary relief amid growing energy congestion, Trouw reports.
Fred van Paassen, a flower grower in Andijk, operates what he calls a “small power plant”—a combined heat and power (CHP) system powered by a combustion engine. The system produces up to 3 megawatts per hour, enough to supply electricity to roughly 1,000 households for one hour. Power that Van Paassen doesn’t need for his chrysanthemum operation is returned to the grid—provided demand outpaces supply. When renewable sources like solar and wind generate more power than needed, Van Paassen draws electricity from the grid instead, creating space on the overloaded network. He reuses the residual heat and carbon dioxide from the system in his greenhouse.
“We help solve the problem, and it’s profitable,” Van Paassen told Trouw. He has a contract with energy services firm Tenergy, which compensates him at rates determined by the energy exchange. The payment varies daily based on supply conditions and grid load.
Van Paassen is part of a growing group of horticultural businesses across Noord-Holland that both supply and absorb electricity, helping prevent overloads and manage peak demand. The approach is gaining traction as pressure on the national grid worsens. Across the Netherlands, the number of companies waiting for a grid connection doubled in 2024, fueled by businesses and households moving away from natural gas and embracing electricity. Data centers, large-scale batteries, electric vehicle chargers, solar panels, and heat pumps are all contributing to soaring demand.
Despite the growing crisis, the Dutch cabinet did not allocate additional funding for grid relief in its spring budget. Climate and Green Growth Minister Sophie Hermans announced only procedural measures with grid operator Tennet aimed at speeding up grid expansion.
At a new electrical station in Beverwijk, Tennet regional director Paul van de Kragt and Liander regional manager Ruben van Loon described the situation. “The grid is full because more and more electricity is being generated and consumed,” Van de Kragt told Trouw. If grid capacity isn’t expanded, traffic jams—known as grid congestion—become more frequent, increasing the risk of outages.
Infrastructure is reportedly failing to keep pace with demand. In Noord-Holland, grid expansion is falling behind population growth, housing developments, and corporate sustainability goals. The area north of the North Sea Channel, including Van Paassen’s farm, remains disconnected from the national 380,000-volt power highway. A new high-capacity six-lane transmission line is planned to serve northern Noord-Holland, but it won’t be completed until 2035.
The shortage is also delaying housing. In Wognum, part of the same municipality as Andijk, the construction of a 50-home neighborhood has been postponed by seven years due to lack of grid access.
Van Paassen believes greenhouse horticulture can be part of the long-term solution. In Andijk and nearby Wervershoof, he said, at least nine businesses operate CHP systems like his, working in partnership with grid operators. “Altogether, greenhouse horticulture in Noord-Holland functions like one big power plant,” he told Trouw.
