Over the past few days, TenneT has spared no effort to construct a new emergency power line between the towns of Doetinchem and Ulft in the east of the Netherlands. Extremely strong winds blew down five pylons in the area on Wednesday 14 July. The single‑circuit emergency power line was taken into operation at 9:10 p.m. on Sunday evening, 18 July.

The emergency power line is a temporary solution to restore the ‘loop’ (i.e. the ring structure of the grid) in the area and safeguard the supply of electricity to the region. Research agency KEMA will begin an investigation into the cause(s) of the pylons’ collapse. The study will comprise a failure investigation of the pylons and their foundations, various inspections, and calculations based on the design standards and the actual load to which the pylons were subjected. TenneT is closely involved in the study, which is expected to take several weeks to complete.