The government will not issue a licence for a new nuclear power plant during its current four year term, says environment minister Jacqueline Cramer in today’s Financieele Dagblad.

At present, the Netherlands has one nuclear power station, Borssele, which is owned jointly by energy companies Essent and Delta.
According to Cramer, nuclear power is ‘not an option’ for up to 40 years because of safety concerns, the problem of nuclear waste and the risk of terrorist attacks.
Cramer also dismisses nuclear power as an interim solution for renewable energy, saying that such arguments distract from moving ahead with the development of sustainable forms of power production.
Meanwhile a report by the government’s highest advisory body, the SER, out today says that nuclear power in its current form cannot be considered as a renewable source of energy although it can contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. Nuclear power is also cheaper (3,1 and 8 euro-cents per kilowatt hour) than on-shore wind parks (between 4.1 and 8 euro-cents), the SER says.
The SER says that Borssele (west) and Eemshaven in the north of the country are the most suitable locations for a second nuclear plant in the Netherlands.