Information meeting on 16 april 2025

On 16 April Liander and the Municipality of Amsterdam organized an information meeting on the upgrade of Rhijnspoor electricity substation. A report of this meeting is published mid May.

Roles and responsibilities
Policy & procedures
Location
Electromagnetic fields
Architect's design brief
Height and shadow cast

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Roles and responsibilities

Liander is responsible for providing a safe, reliable and affordable electricity grid. Every two years, the Municipality of Amsterdam and Liander assess how the demand for electricity is developing in the city. Based on this information, Liander indicates where potential bottlenecks may arise and where the electricity grid needs to be expanded.

The Municipality considers the use of space in the city and tests this against Amsterdam’s policy frameworks (spatial quality, greenery, water storage, etc.). If the electricity grid needs to be upgraded and/or expanded, in its capacity as initiator Liander asks for cooperation from the Municipality to make space available for this.

Liander and the Municipality work together closely, as the challenge in Amsterdam is sizeable, urgent and complex. You can see an overview of the responsibilities in the table below.

Responsibilities of Liander as initiator
Responsibilities of the Municipality of Amsterdam
Managing the electricity grid in a safe, reliable and affordable way. Identifying bottlenecks in the electricity grid. Initiating the upgrading and/or expansion of the electricity grid. Participating with stakeholders. Conducting surveys, e.g. soil survey and noise survey. Applying for permits from the Municipality of Amsterdam. Selecting and guiding the architect and contractors.	Considering the use of space in the city. The Municipality documents the choice of location for the electricity substation in a site decision. Drawing up an area planning framework. This contains the rules concerning the aesthetic quality and other applicable policy. Monitoring whether Liander is complying with the participation agreements. Assessing Liander’s applications for procedures and permits.

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Policy, procedures, consultation and objection

Liander performs the tasks described in the Electricity Act and complies with legislation, regulations and municipal policy. Below you will find the rules that are most relevant for people living and working in the vicinity of the substation.

Subject
More information
Electricity Act Ensuring electricity is transmitted in a safe and efficient manner.	You will find the Electricity Act 1998 here (in Dutch)
Environmental plan The upgrade fits in with the environmental plan. The ‘Weesperzijde strook’ land-use plan applies to the location. Irrevocable land-use plans form part of the environmental plan. The building is not being expanded, but upgraded, resulting in increased capacity. This is permitted within the current environmental plan.	The plan rules can be found here (in Dutch)
Surveys Liander will have various surveys conducted relating to soil, wildlife, water and the environment.	Examples: Noise survey Soil survey Survey of asbestos in buildings Wildlife survey (flora and fauna) Water survey Archaeological survey
Permits Liander will apply for various permits for the demolition and construction of the substation and in relation to soil, wildlife, water and the environment.	Various permits Environmental permit for construction Environmental permit for demolition Other permits relating to soil/wildlife/water/environment. Which ones precisely is not yet known. Legal procedures are in place for permit applications, which we will observe. We will tell you which permits we will need to apply for on the substation project page. Notification will be published on officielebekendmakingen.nl when a permit is granted. Once the permit has been granted it will be available for inspection for 6 weeks. You may raise an objection during this period. Liander will inform you when the environmental permit application is being submitted and when the permit is available for inspection.
Precautionary policy for magnetic fields Amsterdam precautionary policy for electromagnetic fields	You will find the precautionary policy here under 'TKN 6' (in Dutch) Other important documents: Councel information letter (in Dutch) Precautionary policy information (in Dutch) Calculation method (in Dutch)
Policy document on planning regulations for the location and external appearance of buildings ‘De schoonheid van Amsterdam’ ('The beauty of Amsterdam')	You will find this policy document here (in Dutch)
Protocol for electricity substations Protocol and process for the construction of substations, including participation paragraph.	You will find the protocol here (in Dutch)

When do you have an influence?

Phase of the project
Degree of influence
2024: Location chosen by the Municipality	You were unable to exercise any influence over the choice of location. You are also unable to object to the site decision. The site decision is an administrative notification and means that the Municipality will cooperate with the procedures necessary to facilitate the upgrade and expansion of Rhijnspoor electricity substation at the designated location.
2024-2025: Design phase	You were able to talk to the architect during the information meeting on 2 October 2024 You were able to make suggestions for the design in the neighbourhood survey held in October 2024 You can respond to the draft design and talk to the architect during the information meeting on 16 April 2025 Once the design is ready, it will be presented. At this point you will have no more influence over the design.
2026-2027: Permit applications	Sometimes applications will need to be made for several permits for the construction or expansion of an electricity substation. Legal procedures apply here. On the project page for the substation we will tell you which permits will need to be applied for. You can object to the permits that Liander applies for. Once a permit has been granted it will be available for inspection for 6 weeks. You may raise an objection during this period. Liander will inform you when the environmental permit application is being submitted and when the permit is available for inspection.
2027-2029: Work	During an information meeting that is yet to be scheduled, you will be able to make suggestions for measures that will help limit the disruption for the neighbourhood.

We are always open to any questions or suggestions from local residents. You can contact us via:

E-mail: rhijnspoor@liander.nl

The BouwApp

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Location

For the Municipality, the need to upgrade the substation was seen as an opportunity to assess its location. The Municipality commissioned a study to determine whether there were other possible sites for the substation. The Municipal Executive then weighed up the options, based on wishes regarding the use of space, the costs, the associated inconvenience and safety-related aspects. The Municipal Executive has concluded that the current location is also the best site for the new substation. This has been documented in the site decision.

The new substation complies with the municipal precautionary policy (in Dutch) regarding magnetic fields and all legislation and regulations, including those covering noise. In its advice (in Dutch) the Municipal Health Service (GGD) indicates that there is no risk to health and the Municipality of Amsterdam therefore sees no reason to reconsider the location.

The choice of the current location for a new substation with increased capacity has raised questions amongst local residents concerning:

The height of the building and the shadow it will cast
Magnetic fields
Noise
Saleability of neighbouring homes

Height and shadow cast

As the new electricity substation will be situated further away from the houses on Leeuwenhoekstraat, this will be beneficial in terms of light. As a result of amendments made to the design, we now know that the height will not be 16 metres, but approx. 13 metres (transformer building, left) and approx. 11 metres (switch building, right). This means that the building will cast less shadow. In the image below you can see the angle of elevation of the existing substation and the new situation. These images show the view from Deymanstraat.

Magnetic fields

In the neighbourhood survey people asked a lot of questions about magnetic fields. We have produced a comprehensive page (in Dutch) on this topic. You can read a summary of it below.

To limit magnetic fields, Liander is taking the following measures:

We are constructing the substation as far away as possible from homes.
Where possible, we are optimising the location of the underground cables, which will run on top of instead of next to one another.

These ‘at-source measures’ are described (in Dutch) in this document (in Dutch).

No homes within the 0.4 microtesla contour

At present, no homes fall within the 0.4 microtesla contour and this is also the case in the future situation. Consequently, the Rhijnspoor electricity substation complies with the precautionary policy of the Municipality of Amsterdam.

What is the 0.4 microtesla contour?

0.4 microtesla is the standard for places in which people spend long periods of time (approx. 14 – 18 hours per day), a definition comparable with housing.

The GGD does not expect any risks for local residents

The GGD therefore does not expect there to be any risks to the health of local residents due to the Rhijnspoor substation. You can read the advice of the GGD here (in Dutch).

The GGD performs measurements

The GGD can measure magnetic fields around the substation. It carried out such measurements at the end of 2024 at the request of local residents. At that time, values of up to 255 microtesla were measured on the outside wall of the building on Eerste Boerhaavestraat. This is above the standard of 100 microtesla for short-term exposure.

At a distance of 1 metre from the substation the strength decreased to 50 microtesla. On the outside walls of the homes the standard of 0.4 microtesla for long-term exposure was not exceeded.

The GGD does not expect there to be any health risks for local residents, but Liander is nevertheless taking measures to resolve the issue of the 100 microtesla standard being exceeded on the outside wall at Eerste Boerhaavestraat. We are currently looking into what these measures will be.

Measures if standards are exceeded

Once the new substation is in place, the GGD may perform further measurements.

A number of local residents asked what the Municipality will do if it becomes apparent that the EMF contour exceeds the standard. The Municipality cannot impose any measures on Liander.

If the 100 microtesla standard for short-term exposure is exceeded, the Municipality will ask Liander to take measures to ensure the standard is complied with. It will be up to Liander to decide what measures can be taken to reduce the magnetic field contour.
If it becomes clear that, in spite of the precautionary measures taken, homes still fall within the contour with an annual average strength of 0.4 microtesla, the Municipality will offer a tailored solution. It will investigate whether there are possible ways of limiting exposure within the home. In extreme cases this may mean that the Municipality will provide support to people who want to move house.

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Noise

The transformers and fans at the substation make a low humming noise. In the table below you can see a number of characteristics of the existing and new situation that have an impact on noise.


Existing situation
New situation
Capacity	64 MVA Three 50/10 kV transformers with a capacity of 32 MVA (megavolt amperes). Two transformers are on at all times. The third transformer serves as a backup. The available capacity is therefore 64 MVA.	106 MVA Three 150/10 kV transformers with a capacity of 53 MVA. Two transformers are on at all times. The third transformer serves as a backup. The available capacity is therefore 106 MVA. Transformers with a higher capacity generate more noise
Housing	Open The transformers are indoors and the fans are outdoors.	Closed. Both the transformers and the fans will be indoors. This will reduce noise.
Old versus new	Old The transformers are around 50 years old	New New transformers generate less noise than old transformers.
Soundproofing	None	Thicker walls and soundproofing. The walls will be thicker and soundproofing will be installed in the ventilation ducts to further reduce noise.

Liander is having a noise survey carried out by an independent agency to determine whether the substation complies with the rules. This will be verified by the Municipality of Amsterdam and the Environment Service.

Measuring noise

If you suspect that noise standards are being exceeded and this is causing you inconvenience, you can report this to the Municipality via this link.The Municipality monitors companies that cause disruptive noise.

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Saleability of neighbouring homes

If this project leads to a demonstrable reduction in the value of your home, you can claim compensation for loss resulting from administrative acts. The loss in question must be greater than normal and affect you more than others.

Are you planning to sell your home? Avoid being liable for compensation after selling your home by informing the potential buyer before the sale about the plans to upgrade the substation. From discussions held in the local area we have learned that this was done when the newest properties on Leeuwenhoekstraat were sold. Information on the presence of the substation was included in the contract of sale for these properties.

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Architect's design brief

The schedule of requirements is made up of Liander’s wishes and requirements and the Municipality of Amsterdam’s area planning framework. The area planning framework sets out the rules concerning the aesthetic quality, the desired spatial quality and other policies that apply to this site. This area planning framework has been coordinated with the COK (Environmental Quality Committee/Building Aesthetics Committee). We have also passed on to the architect the wishes expressed by local residents, which were gathered in 2024 during the information meeting and in the neighbourhood survey.

What requirements are there and what does this mean?

You can read more about the different levels for building aesthetics and what these mean on the Spatial Quality Committee’s website.

The area planning framework includes the following points, amongst others::

The ‘Special building aesthetics level’ applies.
Brick walls with intricate detailing are characteristic of the blocks built in Amsterdam’s 19th century ring. These buildings are a type of enclosed block where the lines of the back walls of each building in the block create a regular, uninterrupted inner courtyard. These courtyards are often used as a garden.
Industrial design using mainly brick with decorative elements in the form of reliefs, brickwork patterns or different materials.
The façade of the existing substation on Eerste Boerhaavestraat is a reference for the new building.
It is important that blind walls and the walls facing the public space are given rhythm and that the surface area is broken up.
The entrances and fences must be designed carefully and to a high standard, so that, architecturally, they form a whole with the architecture of the building.
The fences form part of the parcel’s building line. The building line is the boundary between private and public land.

Liander has commissioned the architect to:

design the exterior of the new substation.
design the layout of the site.
design a partition/fence along Deymanstraat and along the gardens of the houses on Leeuwenhoekstraat.

We are also investigating:

How we can ensure that the fencing of the building on Eerste Boerhaavestraat ties in with the design of the new substation.
Whether we can give something back to the neighbourhood in the public space. Various suggestions were made for this in the neighbourhood survey: extra (bicycle) parking spaces, a play area, expansion of the sports and recreation area on Wibautstraat, more greenery. These will be discussed with the Municipality, as Liander has nothing to do with the layout of the public space.

Wishes and suggestions from the neighbourhood survey:

Greenery
Can the wish be incorporated in the design?
Green walls	No. The Municipality sets requirements for the design that fit in with the urban development plan. Green walls do not feature in this. For this reason green walls will not be included in the architect’s design brief.
Green roofs	Yes. There will be greenery (sedum) on the roof of the new substation.
Trees	No. No trees will be planted on Liander’s site due to the underground cables.
Greenery on the site	Yes. The architect is investigating whether a hedge can be planted between the gardens of the houses on Leeuwenhoekstraat and the substation. We are looking into whether, in some places on the site, e.g. around the perimeter, we can use grass block paving (alternatively planted with sedum).
Greening of the building on the Eerste Boerhaavestraat	We are investigating whether the structure of the building on Eerste Boerhaavestraat will allow for greenery (sedum) on the roof.
Materials
Pale bricks	Yes. The architect is investigating various (pale) colours and patterns for the walls and the fencing.
Reduction of particulates	Yes. We are creating green (sedum) roofs, which help reduce particulates. Whether we can also utilise other materials to reduce particulates will become apparent in the course of the design process
Decorative pattern	Yes. This is also one of the Municipality’s requirements
Design
In keeping with the neighbourhood	Yes. This is also one of the Municipality’s requirements
Open character, not a concrete colossus	Yes. Part of the intended architectural effect is for the fencing to have an open and friendly character.
Art	Liander is investigating together with the architect whether there are possibilities for this in the design.
Solar panels	No. Liander has been asked by the Municipality to investigate the potential for green roofs. As we are not installing a combination of a green roof and solar panels, there will be no solar panels. .
Heat recovery	No. The amount of heat released is limited and low in temperature. Furthermore, as a network operator, Liander is not permitted to sell heat.
Site
Water storage	Yes. We are examining both the current and future built surface area, as well as rainwater drainage and water storage on the site. We are investigating which measures can be taken to prevent flooding. Green roofs have been included in the design. In addition, we are investigating whether we can use grass block paving (alternatively planted with sedum) in a number of places, e.g. around the perimeter
Insect hotel	We are investigating whether it would be possible to have one of these on the site
Lighting	The site will not be permanently lit. Orientation lighting will only come on when a technician visits the substation, possibly combined with additional lighting to allow the work to be performed.
Bigger garden Leeuwenhoekstraat	No. We are investigating whether, in addition to new fencing, a hedge could be planted between the gardens and the substation, on Liander’s site
Safety of public space Lighting No places to hang out Intrusion proof	Safety aspects are being considered as part of the design. To prevent break-ins, there will be no doors into the building on the street. By using open fencing and decorative elements in the brickwork, we will make the building less attractive for graffiti. We will discuss with the Municipality whether additional measures would be desirable in the public space to increase safety in the neighbourhood. Liander has nothing to do with the layout of the public space

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Participation regarding the design

The scope for participation is very limited. The design for the substation must comply with:

Liander’s wishes and requirements relating to technology, safety and management.
The area planning framework that has been drawn up by the Municipality of Amsterdam.
Policy and rules relating to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and noise, amongst other things.
The quality standard of the Municipality of Amsterdam. This will be assessed by the Environmental Quality Committee (COK/Building Aesthetics Committee).

We will do our best to incorporate as many wishes as possible of local residents into the design. Ultimately, Liander will choose the final design that will be used to apply for the permit.

What influence will local residents have over the design?

During the information meeting on 2 October 2024 visitors were able to talk to the architect about the design and make suggestions for the building and fencing.
Local residents could also make suggestions relating to the design in the neighbourhood survey conducted by Bureau Bewonerszaken. Liander has passed these on to the architect.
During the meeting on 16 April the architect will present drawings of the design. We will explain which wishes have and have not been incorporated into the design. Local residents will have the opportunity to respond to the architect’s drawings.
Once the design is ready, we will present it to the neighbourhood. At this point local residents will have no further influence over the design.
Based on the definitive design, Liander will then apply for an environmental permit for construction. Once this permit is available for inspection, local residents will be able to raise an objection with the Municipality of Amsterdam against the granting of the permit.

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Work and disruption

Upgrading the substation will cause disruption. Large vehicles will be required and the demolition and building work may be noisy. Nevertheless, Liander will do everything possible to keep any inconvenience to a minimum.

In the neighbourhood survey people asked many questions relating to the work that will be carried out and possible disruption. We are not yet able to tell you what work will be carried out and when, and how this may affect you. As soon as we have a clearer picture of this we will let you know.

Generally speaking, we can say that:

You will not experience constant disruption throughout the construction period. Some of the building work will take place indoors, which means it will be less noticeable for people in the area.
Liander will take measures to limit the disruption (including low-vibration drilling) and we will do all we can to reduce the risk of damage.
You will be given details of the construction schedule in advance. We will be working where you live, so it is important that you know what is happening and when. We will provide you with prompt information via the Bouwapp and other channels and may also organise opportunities for contact on site.
Safety is our top priority. We will be building in a busy inner-city area and are aware that the movement of large vehicles entails risks. Everything possible will be done to ensure that such transport movements are carried out safely. We will deploy traffic controllers and will inform you about the use of large vehicles in good time.
We will combine jobs: when we dig up the street to lay cables we will inform our colleagues who will be working on the sewer, gas and water pipes. They will then be able to do their work at the same time.

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