Schneider Electric has partnered with Royal Avebe, a farmer-owned cooperative specializing in starch and plant proteins, to electrify one of its production facilities in the Netherlands, the Foxhol site. This is a dedicated starch derivatives area that includes several production facilities and utilities provided to third parties. The electrification was achieved without the need to extend the existing grid connection.
Congestion in Europe’s electricity grids has become one of the biggest obstacles to industrial decarbonization. Across the continent, more than 1,700 gigawatts of clean energy and electrification projects are queued for connection to existing grids, a figure that has increased by 133% annually since 2021, according to the Eurelectric Power Barometer. In the Netherlands alone, more than 14,000 companies are waiting for the capacity they need to expand, implement electrification or decarbonize solutions. For many of them, the waiting period can be as long as a decade.
Working together at the Avebe factory in Foxhol, Groningen, the two companies have demonstrated that it is possible to install a new industrial electric boiler, eliminate fossil fuel heating and become an active energy prosumer — all within the limits of the existing grid connection, without additional investment in public infrastructure or entering a waiting list for capacity. Furthermore, the project actively contributes to balancing the grid, creating space for other companies and renewable energy producers to connect.
As demands for grid connections grow across Europe, the development of new high-voltage infrastructure in the Netherlands takes between eight and twelve years. 90% of Dutch companies are already feeling the direct or indirect effects of grid congestion, according to the Dutch SME Monitor. The Dutch Chemical Industry Association warns that this bottleneck threatens the competitiveness of the country’s entire industrial base.
The European Electricity Grid Package, published in December 2025, acknowledges that at least 16 Member States are facing grid connection queues, which are slowing down both the energy transition and economic growth. While regulations can help, the physical infrastructure takes years to be implemented — and manufacturers cannot afford to wait.
Avebe called on Schneider Electric’s consulting services to fundamentally rethink how the Foxhol site uses, manages and harnesses energy. The result is an integrated strategy based on three pillars: unified energy and process control, real-time energy performance data and dynamic consumption management.
The platform consolidates data from over 1,000 points on the site, including 542 medium-voltage smart relays, into a single operational interface. When grid demand increases, the system automatically redistributes consumption to stay within contracted limits. During periods of surplus renewable energy and low demand, the factory absorbs the excess and contributes to grid stability.
This strategy directly supports Avebe’s climate goals, including reducing emissions by 30% by 2030 and improving energy efficiency by 1.5% annually.
“The further electrification of our production processes is an important step towards sustainability,” said Joyce de Vries-Pieterman, Director of Communication & Public Affairs at Avebe. “Together with Schneider Electric, we are demonstrating that concrete progress is possible even within the limits of existing infrastructure.”
“What Avebe has achieved at Foxhol is a model for European industry. Grid constraints should not mean delays in decarbonization,” said Neil Smith, President Consumer-Packaged Goods at Schneider Electric.
Avebe’s approach is scalable and can be applied to any energy-intensive industrial site in Europe. For industries such as food, chemical, and paper—responsible for a large portion of industrial emissions—this model offers a concrete solution for decarbonization without waiting for the expansion of electricity grids.
The Foxhol factory is now ready to integrate local renewable energy and advanced IIoT monitoring, building on the digital foundation already in place.
