The Netherland will reveal its plans for two new nuclear reactors next week

10 comments
  1. The cabinet will next week unfold plans for the development of two nuclear power plants. The construction plans were already announced in the coalition agreement and 5 billion euros have been reserved for the first steps.

    “We are fully committed to wind, solar and other renewable energy sources,” says Climate Minister Jetten. “But in that energy mix you also want to have a stable CO2-free energy source. Two new nuclear power plants are a good addition to all the sustainable techniques.”

    The only working nuclear power plant in the Netherlands is located on the Westerschelde in Borssele, Zeeland. The VVD wants the two large new power plants to be built in Borssele because there is already knowledge and experience there.

    It also houses the COVRA nuclear waste storage facility. Nuclear waste can be stored there for a hundred years. There is now about one and a half sea containers of nuclear waste made by Borssele since the 1970s and more can be added. “We can expand this building in pieces,” says Director Verhoef. “It’s safely located there; the radiation level here is lower than most people’s homes.”

    But nuclear waste remains active for thousands of years. Says Jetten, “We are saving up for a permanent storage facility where the waste can stay for a very long time.”

  2. For 5 billion, you can draw a drawing, make a beautiful presentation and drink coffee with a bun. The newest Finnish station was under construction for 12 years, having risen in price three times to 9 billion euros. The British station, which is being prepared for construction, has already risen in price to 24 billion. The project modestly says that if everything goes according to plan, the approximate time for completion of construction and preparation for testing is 10 years.

  3. I’m curious about who will be the manufacturer of the new reactors. The Borssele plant was built in 1973 by Siemens, but Siemens doesn’t make anymore nuclear reactors (or do they?). I suppose buying Russian is currently excluded. That leaves US, France or China.

  4. Investing in more clean, scalable baseload energy is a great move by the Netherlands. Nuclear power is needed in the bigger picture traction towards more renewables and less fossil fuels…and with the secondary goal for a greater degree of energy security.

  5. Good luck. Until the plants are running they will no longer be needed. Also Nuclear is far far far from CO2 neutral (let’s not even start to discuss cost), even if you don’t consider eternal waste storage where cost and CO2 can currently not even be calculated. But go on and have fun with this decision. Now Reddit armchair nuclear plant operators can go on and downvote me.

Leave a Reply