Plans to build two new nuclear power stations in the Netherlands have narrowed down to three potential sites, with Eemshaven in Groningen holding two possible spots and Terneuzen in Zeeland taking the third. Although State Secretary Jo-Annes de Bat has stressed that no final decisions have been reached, the government is officially keeping both regions on the table.
Choosing between the two locations presents a major headache for the minister. National grid operator TenneT has explicitly backed Eemshaven as the best choice logistically, whereas Terneuzen would require a massive, expensive overhaul of the local electrical grid just to handle the power output.
However, local politics tells a completely different story. Public opinion in Groningen is fiercely opposed to nuclear energy—a sensitivity heightened by years of earthquake damage caused by gas extraction in the province. While previous governments and parliament had promised to spare the region, local authorities are already furious that Eemshaven is back in the running.
The minister plans to present the Cabinet’s preferred site by the end of the year, describing the choice as a straight trade-off between Groningen’s technical suitability and Zeeland’s public approval. In the meantime, the government has moved to secure the ‘right of first refusal’ on the land, giving them first dibs on buying the sites if the owners decide to sell.
The final project will see two large-scale reactors built from an initial shortlist of seven sites, which previously saw options like Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte rejected. On top of these major projects, the government is also looking into rolling out smaller Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), though research into their design and placement is still in the very early stages.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
