Located near the town of Borssele, the two new nuclear power plants that the Netherlands plans to build are expected to be completed by 2035 and supply up to 13% of the country’s electricity needs, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.
“By adding nuclear power to our energy mix, we will reduce carbon dioxide emissions related to electricity generation and make us less dependent on the countries where these fossil fuels come from,” Rutte told reporters. .
Read also: To decarbonise its economy, the Netherlands is betting on two nuclear power plants
In anticipation of the future
Energy prices are soaring in the Netherlands as elsewhere in Europe, following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine which cut off the flow of oil and gas from Russia. Borssele, near the Belgian border, is already home to the only nuclear power plant in the Netherlands, dating back to 1973.
Mr. Rutte also announced that his government has decided to fully replenish national gas reserves for next winter. “The war in Ukraine and the current situation in the energy markets could last a long time,” he said.
