A lightyear of difference almost: Whereas the German government sticks to suicidal policies with its obsession to walk out of nuclear power by the end of 2022, the government in neighboring Netherlands even wants to increase the use of nuclear.
The Dutch government will reveal plans this week to develop two new nuclear power stations, in what will be “a good addition to all sustainable techniques” in the Netherlands, Climate and Energy Minister Rob Jetten has said. “We are fully committed to wind, sun and other sustainable energy sources. But you also want a stable CO2-free energy source in that energy mix,” he explained, according to NL Times.
The Euractiv website reports that following the beginning of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February, and Gazprom cutting gas supplies to the Netherlands after wholesaler GasTerra refused the Kremlin’s demand to pay in rubles for fear of breaching EU sanctions, a majority in the Dutch House of Representatives urged Jetten to develop further plans for nuclear energy.
Following the coalition agreement, which calls for preparing “for the construction of new nuclear power plants,” the government allocated €5 billion for their initial development, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported. The government’s next step is to find parties to build and operate the plants.
The conservative-liberal political party, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), wants both nuclear stations to be built in Borssele, a village in the province of Zeeland, as the only other functioning power station in the Netherlands is in that village.
