Key Takeaways
The subject, clearly
Volker Energy Solutions is a high-voltage specialist in the Netherlands (Europe) that is now presented under the Hanab Energy Solutions name.
What it does
The public offer centers on designing, building, and maintaining complex medium- and high-voltage infrastructure, including substations and cable routes, with a dedicated track for Protection, Automation & Control.
Why the name matters
The public record shows a clear naming path from Joulz Energy Solutions to Volker Energy Solutions, and later a wider Hanab brand umbrella.
What stands out
Large-grid framework work is linked to TenneT’s EU-303 programme, and major industrial-grid connection work is linked to Shell’s Holland Hydrogen 1 project.
A safety signal
Volker Energy Solutions appears in Safety Culture Ladder documentation connected to step four.
Story & Details
A company name that moved with the grid boom
In May 2018, Stedin Group announced that Joulz Energy Solutions would be acquired by Koninklijke VolkerWessels, with Visser & Smit Hanab set to become the owner from July 2018. The move placed Joulz’s high-voltage activity inside a larger infrastructure group at a time when the power grid was starting to feel heavier use and sharper growth.
By September 2019, the brand shift became explicit: Joulz Energy Solutions began using the name Volker Energy Solutions. The message was simple and direct—one name for a business that works close to the bones of the electricity system.
From plans on paper to long frameworks
In January 2021, Volker Energy Solutions signed a contract tied to TenneT’s EU-303 programme, a long-term framework aimed at renewing and expanding high-voltage stations in the Netherlands (Europe). Public statements framed the work as part of a wider energy transition that requires reinforcement, expansion, and sometimes replacement of core infrastructure.
In November 2021, Hanab’s own reporting described a further bundling step: cable activities within Visser & Smit Hanab were combined with Volker Energy Solutions activities, continuing together under the Volker Energy Solutions name as part of Visser & Smit Hanab.
What the work looks like in plain terms
Hanab Energy Solutions presents itself as a specialist for complex high-voltage infrastructure. That public scope includes feasibility studies, staged designs, delivery designs, and the field work that follows. It also describes Protection, Automation & Control as a separate focus area, including system integration, grid automation, and cybersecurity. In everyday terms, it is the blend of design, build, and safe operation for the equipment that moves electricity across regions.
Project pages and procurement material give extra texture. A TenderNed publication lists Volker Energy Solutions B.V. in the context of high-voltage line work and tower-related activities, alongside a Dutch registration number. Public Hanab reporting also describes responsibility for the design and realisation of a 380 kV high-voltage connection for Shell’s Holland Hydrogen 1, including design phases for a station and cable route. That same description names a 200 MW electrolyser and states an expected output of 60,000 kilograms of renewable hydrogen per day.
A brief Dutch mini-lesson, with practical feel
Dutch in this field often builds long, clear compound words.
“hoogspanningsstation” is a common one. It is used for a high-voltage substation.
Word-by-word: “hoog” means “high”, “spanning” means “voltage”, “station” means “station”. The tone is neutral and technical, suitable for news, manuals, and on-site talk.
“energietransitie” is another key word. It is used for the energy transition.
Word-by-word: “energie” means “energy”, “transitie” means “transition”. It is common in public policy, company news, and long-term grid plans.
And “trede 4” appears in safety discussions. It is used for step four on a ladder model.
Word-by-word: “trede” means “step” in the sense of a rung on a ladder, and “4” is “four”. It reads formal and structured, like a standard or a certificate.
The Hanab umbrella, and where the story sits in December 2025
On December 16, 2024, Hanab announced a new umbrella brand for three former VolkerWessels companies, positioning Hanab as a specialist in energy, technology, and connectivity. By December 2025, the Hanab Energy Solutions site presents the high-voltage work as part of that wider identity, while the Volker Energy Solutions name remains important for understanding older contracts, project histories, and public documents.
Conclusions
The simplest way to see it
Volker Energy Solutions is best understood as a high-voltage delivery engine inside the Hanab world. The names changed, but the core idea stayed steady: plan, build, and maintain the hard parts of the electricity system in the Netherlands (Europe), from stations to lines to control systems. The public record ties that work to long grid programmes and to high-profile industrial electrification, with safety language that aims high and expects proof.
Selected References
- [1] https://www.hanab.nl/energy-solutions/nl/nieuws/een-nieuwe-naam-voor-joulz-energy-solutions
- [2] https://www.hanab.nl/energy-solutions/nl/nieuws/kabelactiviteiten-vsh-gebundeld-met-volker-energy-solutions
- [3] https://www.stedingroep.nl/eng/press-and-media/persberichten/stedin-group-and-volkerwessels-reach-agreement-on-joulz-energy-solutions
- [4] https://www.volkerwessels.com/en/news/volker-energy-solutions-signs-framework-agreement-tennet
- [5] https://www.hanab.nl/energy-solutions/nl/nieuws/volker-energy-solutions-werkt-mee-aan-energietransitie-shell
- [6] https://www.hanab.nl/energy-solutions/nl/nieuws/hanab-nieuwe-naam
- [7] https://www.volkerwessels.com/nl/nieuws/triton-acquire-visser-smit-hanab-vw-telecom-and-homij
- [8] https://tenderned.nl/papi/tenderned-rs-tns/v2/publicaties/364194/pdf
- [9] https://www.hanab.nl/pipelines-and-industry/sites/hanab_pipelines_industry/files/2025-04/SCL%20trede%204%20Certificaat%20Visser%20%26%20Smit%20Hanab%2025-11-2026.pdf
- [10] https://safetycultureladder.com/app/uploads/2024/02/Certificatieschema_Veiligheidsladder_4.0-final.pdf
- [11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssu7Wvem5kw
Appendix
Aboma Certification: A Dutch certification body name that appears on Safety Culture Ladder certificates as the issuing organization.
Energy transition: The long-term shift from fossil-based energy systems to more renewable and electrified systems, often driving new grid build and upgrades.
Gas Insulated Switchgear: High-voltage switchgear that uses gas insulation, often chosen where space is tight and reliability needs are high.
Hanab: A brand umbrella that groups energy, technology, and connectivity activities, including the unit presented as Hanab Energy Solutions.
High Voltage: Electricity transmission at very high voltages, used to move large amounts of power over long distances through stations, lines, and cables.
KvK: The Dutch Chamber of Commerce register, used for official company registration and reference numbers.
Safety Culture Ladder: A ladder model that rates how an organization works with safety culture, from low maturity to high maturity, used in many infrastructure supply chains.
TenneT: The transmission system operator responsible for large parts of the high-voltage grid in the Netherlands (Europe), known for long-term programmes to expand and renew stations and connections.
Triton: A private equity firm named in public announcements about the acquisition of a cluster that includes Visser & Smit Hanab and related companies.
VolkerWessels: A Dutch construction and infrastructure group name that appears in public records connected to ownership, restructuring, and announcements in this business area.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 