E.ON increases and diversifies power generation in The Netherlands

The rate of new capacity construction since 2000 has been limited, so imported power now makes up almost a quarter of national requirements. This has made The Netherlands dependent on energy from its neighbours, including Belgium, France and Germany.

Increasing and diversifying Dutch power capacity

E.ON is expanding Dutch production capacity with the new 1,100 MW coal-fired Maasvlakte power plant, which will provide some seven percent of the country’s electricity requirements. Investment in the project will exceed 1.2 billion euros.

The new power station’s energy return will be 46 percent, which is twenty percent higher than current Dutch power stations. As a result, CO2 emissions per kilowatt-hour will be reduced by around twenty percent.

The Maasvlakte area offers several significant advantages for power stations. It is located adjacent to a deep waterway offering excellent potential for shipping bulk supplies of coal and biomass via the Port of Rotterdam. Additionally, it is well served logistically by links to both the electricity grid and highway network.

As the price of coal is less sensitive to world market price swings than gas, coal-fired power stations will also enable lower and more stable bills for commercial and home users. And, with gas-fired power stations currently generating seventy percent of The Netherlands’ electricity, it makes the country less dependent on a single energy source.

think project! as a standard solution for power plant projects

think project!, the chosen online collaboration platform for all new power plant construction projects of E.ON New Build & Technology, is also being used for the Maasvlakte power plant. This project is currently the project with the most users, highest data volume and the broadest range of functionalities of all E.ON projects managed via the platform.

think project! supports the Maasvlakte project to manage the major challenges with regard to communication between all project members as well as comprehensive management of drawings and documents. Additional processes mapped via the platform include daily site reporting; construction and assembly monitoring; and action tracking by lists of open points for commissioning and contract compliance.