EIB
  • Dutch grid operator Enexis will use EIB financing to fund it’s 2026 electricity grid investment programme, including expansion, reinforcement and renewal of the network.
  • The works concern around 4 600 kilometres of power lines as well as connected infrastructure, in five Dutch provinces.
  • In the framework of the energy transition and the growing popularity of electric vehicles, massive investments are needed to ensure the network can handle input and demand.

Enexis has secured a €500 million financing facility from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for its 2026 electricity grid investment programme. The facility will support Enexis’ investments in the expansion, reinforcement and renewal of the electricity grid in the provinces of Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, North Brabant and Limburg.

The energy transition requires the expansion of the electricity grid. Solar and wind power generation is increasing, while households, mobility and businesses are using more electricity. As a result, both the need for new connections and the demand for electricity transport capacity are growing. The works backed by the EIB financing concern some 2 800 km of MV cables and a further 1 800 km of LV cables.

Through this investment programme, Enexis will increase capacity to connect renewable energy to the grid and enable the further electrification of homes, mobility, business processes and industry. Investments include new and higher-capacity cables, transformer stations and digital solutions for smarter grid management.

“By reinforcing the grids in its service areas, many of which face critical capacity constraints, Enexis will boost network resilience and increase the security of the electricity grid. This will allow business, entrepreneurs and households to get the electricity they urgently need.” noted EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot.

“The energy transition requires investments on a scale and at a pace we have not seen before,” says Marjanne van Ittersum, CFO of Enexis. “This financing supports our investments in 2026 and strengthens the diversification and flexibility of our funding. It enables us to continue working towards a reliable and future-proof electricity grid, providing as many customers as possible with access to energy.”

The financing aligns with the EIB’s priorities as the climate bank of the European Union: accelerating the energy transition, connecting more renewable energy, enabling electrification and strengthening a reliable energy supply. In doing so, the EIB supports the necessary expansion and modernisation of Europe’s electricity grids.

Background information

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.

Enexis is a regional Distribution System Operator (DSO) supplying around 3 million households and companies in the Dutch provinces of Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, Limburg and Noord-Brabant with safe and reliable electricity and gas. The company develops, builds, manages and maintains its energy networks with over 6.600 employees and about 1.400 external staff, covering 117 900 kilometres of electricity grid and 46 100 kilometres of gas network.