Flexible contracts free up grid space for 305 Amsterdam firms

Land for new electricity stations is getting harder to find, and grid operator Liander says expansion of the network is stalling.

In the first half of 2026 it secured sites for only two new stations, against 26 in 2024 and 20 in 2025.

Charging outside peak hours

In Amsterdam, 305 businesses on the waiting list still got room for a larger connection over the past year, through contracts that let them use power flexibly and charge outside peak times.

One of them is Afezo, a family firm in civil engineering, which is building its own charging hub with 453 kilowatts of capacity.

Director Thony Fens said he had faced up to another year on the waiting list.

His machines are out during the day, so he mainly needs power at night, and Liander has given the firm financial support for avoiding peak hours.

Still a long queue

Liander has 449 open requests in Amsterdam for a new or heavier business connection, and for 371 of them a flexible contract is no solution.

It plans to build 20 new stations in the city and expand 19 more, as Amsterdam could use up to four times as much electricity by 2050.

Source: De Telegraaf