2 min(s) read time
Enexis: Portfolio Management in the Energy Transition
- EIFFEL Project Controls
De energietransitie zet het Nederlandse elektriciteitsnet onder druk. Huishoudens en bedrijven gebruiken meer elektriciteit, rijden elektrisch, verwarmen met warmtepompen en leveren zelf opgewekte energie terug aan het net. Dat vraagt om een snelle uitbreiding én vernieuwing van een deels verouderde infrastructuur.
Enexis is one of the 3 largest grid operators in the Netherlands, and faces this challenge every day. Beyond large-scale grid expansions, the existing network must stay reliable. That requires clear choices: which projects do we start, when, at what capacity, and how do they contribute to our strategic goals? Portfolio management plays a key role here.
The challenge
Enexis manages the grid across northern and southern Netherlands, serving more than 2.9 million connected households and businesses. The network includes:
- 116 HV/MV substations
- approximately 57,000 MV/LV substations
- around 150,000 kilometers of cable
Between 2024 and 2026, Enexis is investing:
- €3 billion in expanding the electricity grid
- €1.5 billion in maintaining the existing network
Projected growth in electricity demand makes clear that these investments will only increase after 2026. Within this assignment, the portfolio focuses specifically on HV/MV substation projects: new builds, expansions, and replacements.
The challenge: keep control of a large, multi-year portfolio while capacity is scarce and societal urgency is high.
Our role
EIFFEL Project Controls supports Enexis in both designing the portfolio management process and shaping the project portfolio for the next 10 years.
Together with the management team, our consultants developed a portfolio management approach that clearly defines:
- how projects are identified and categorized
- how prioritization and balance within the portfolio are determined
- what agreements govern decision-making and collaboration
We also analyzed:
- ongoing and planned projects
- required capacity (people and resources)
- how that demand aligns with available capacity within the organization
This results in an annual portfolio plan, formally approved by the board. The plan also shows which projects are needed in the 2-to-10-year window and how they contribute to Enexis’s strategic objectives.
Complexity and approach
- The core complexity lies in the tension between:
- limited execution capacity (internally and in the labor market)
- high ambitions and time pressure from the energy transition
- diverse stakeholders with competing interests
By analyzing project data and making it visually accessible, EIFFEL Project Controls supports Enexis in making well-founded decisions. We also help structure communication and information flows, so the organization has one integrated view of the project portfolio.
Result and impact
With a well-structured portfolio management process in place, Enexis now has:
- better insight into priorities and capacity
- stronger justification for investment decisions
- a forward-looking portfolio aligned with strategic goals
This is how EIFFEL Project Controls contributes—with hands-on expertise in portfolio management—to accelerating the energy transition and building a reliable electricity grid for the future.