The construction of the new power plants has already been announced in the consortium agreement. 5 billion euros have been provided for the first steps. The government has not yet announced how much the central government will ultimately contribute.
According to the Cabinet, Borssele is a great fit because of the existing nuclear infrastructure of the nuclear power plant located there and the space available.
support base
The Cabinet wants to select the so-called “third generation + reactors”. As a result, nuclear power should account for 11 to 15 percent of the total electricity supply from 2035 onwards.
The government believes that support among the local population is a condition for the project to move forward. It seems to be okay with that.
Nuclear energy in the Netherlands
At the moment, the nuclear power plant in Porcele in Zeeland is the only one that supplies electricity to the Netherlands. The 481-megawatt nuclear power plant provides about 3 percent of the electricity required in our country. It is an old power station. It dates back to 1973.
In 1969, the Dodewaard Nuclear Power Plant in Betuwe was the first Dutch nuclear power plant. Electricity production ceased in 1997.
Each of the new nuclear power plants must contribute an additional 1,000 to 1,650 megawatts. There is a large majority in the House of Representatives to build new nuclear power plants.
long-term, complex and expensive
Building new nuclear power plants is a “long-term, complex and expensive process,” Climate and Energy Minister Cetin wrote in the documents. It is therefore important to start the initial preparations as early as possible. However, the overall decision must still be “made” with “careful considerations”.
The Cabinet hopes to issue the first building permits between 2025 and 2028. Construction of new power plants could then begin from 2028, with the reactors to be operational by 2035 at the latest.
Subsidies will also be provided for research into building smaller nuclear power plants, the so-called small modular reactors.
Borssele opens longer
The Cabinet also intends to keep the only existing nuclear power plant in the Netherlands, also in Porcili, open for a longer period. The shutdown date for that reactor is now scheduled for December 2033, but the government will enter into consultations with shareholders, among others, to reach agreements on extending life.
According to the Cabinet, life extension could be an “important bridge” for the construction and operation of nuclear power plants that have not yet been built.