Peek into the October Edition of Transformers Magazine!
INTERVIEW WITH STEFAN VAN DER KOLK, LEAD ENGINEER AT TENNET
Stefan van der Kolk
INTERVIEW WITH STEFAN VAN DER KOLK, LEAD ENGINEER AT TENNET
We bring you an interview with Stefan van der Kolk, a lead engineer at TenneT, a transmission system operator (TSO) in the Netherlands and Germany. He is responsible for cooperation with suppliers of components, but also engineering suppliers and the constructors in the field.
Stefan talks about his responsibilities in TenneT, the company’s mission of supplying electricity in a very reliable way, and the challenges that utilities face today, some of them being the rise of renewables, digitalisation, the increase of pro-sumers, etc. One of the biggest challenges is power generated by wind or sun, which cannot be turned on and off as required, nor can electricity be easily stored. Bringing this energy to the end user is also not easy. However, digitalisation opens up opportunities for numerous benefits that go beyond the equipment.
The challenges we face are that power generated by wind or sun cannot be turned on and off as required, nor can electricity be easily stored; another challenge is bringing this energy to the end user
Reliable electricity
We are all used to having electric power at our fingertips, but next time you turn on the lights, take a moment to think about where that power comes from. In the Netherlands and Germany, it was very likely brought to you by us, TenneT, although you may not even have heard of us. And that is fine, we would rather you noticed having all that electricity at the flick of a switch.
The Netherlands and a significant part of Germany rely on our services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Without us, you could not use your computer, keep your food fresh in the fridge, charge your phone, watch TV, catch the train to work, use the ATM, or even switch on the lights. Not to mention there would be no cars, clothes, or appliances because factories need electricity. Everything that runs on electricity is powered by us. Without electricity, we would struggle to survive in our always-on, connected world. Fortunately, our track record means the lights do not go out. Our service level is as high as 99.99 %. We are one of the best in the world at our job.
TenneT has over 4,900 employees and our corporate headquarters is located in Arnhem, the Netherlands.
The Dutch HV grid is operated at 50 Hz 380 / 220 / 150 / 110 kV, depending on the connection and area in the Netherlands. We own over 23,555 km of high-voltage lines and cables, transporting electricity to 42 million homes and businesses in the Netherlands and Germany.
Access the article here.
If you want to see the live interview recording, please go here.
The next article will be out soon, so stay tuned not to miss out on the newest insights and updates in the industry.