Zeeland plays a strategic role in the Dutch and European energy transition. The region combines a major industrial cluster, a deep-sea port, existing and planned energy infrastructure, potential for offshore wind, nuclear energy and hydrogen, and strong connections with the wider North Sea Port area. This creates significant opportunities, but also requires careful coordination between electricity demand, supply and infrastructure.
The report Systeemintegratie Elektriciteit Zeeland, commissioned by Smart Delta Resources, Provincie Zeeland and North Sea Port in collaboration with Quo Mare, explores how the regional electricity system could develop between 2030 and 2050. Using the SDR Regional Net Zero Model, the study combines two industrial decarbonisation roadmaps with eight electricity supply scenarios to identify potential bottlenecks and system impacts.
A central finding is that large-scale integration of CO₂-free electricity — from offshore wind, nuclear energy and new technologies — can only succeed if sufficient regional electricity demand, flexibility and infrastructure are developed in parallel. In several scenarios, bottlenecks in the 380kV grid emerge from 2035 onwards when industrial electricity demand lags behind supply. In an extreme case, export capacity could be exceeded by up to 2.5 GW for 2,653 hours per year, potentially leading to significant redispatch or curtailment costs.
The report highlights the importance of stimulating industrial electricity demand, scaling up flexibility through electrolysis and batteries, making smart location choices, and ensuring timely development of electricity, hydrogen and CO₂ infrastructure. Existing assets, including the Borssele nuclear power plant and regional gas-fired power plants, also remain strategically relevant for system stability during the transition.
The recommendations provide a framework for aligning investment decisions, infrastructure planning and policy. With the right coordination, Zeeland can strengthen its role as a resilient energy and industrial hub while contributing to climate neutrality, strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness.