More than 300 building projects in the Netherlands are at risk because the cabinet has yet to take a decision on how to combat nitrogen-based pollution, national grid company Liander told broadcaster NOS on Monday.

Work cannot begin on strengthening grid capacity, which is essential to ensure that new construction projects can be connected to the electricity network, Liander said.

“The cabinet’s decision to delay rather than deliver a breakthrough in the spring financial statement has enormous consequences for the Dutch energy supply,” director Huibert Baud said.

Liander estimates that 317 construction projects face delays or may be cancelled altogether because of the failure to reach an agreement which would allow Liander to take action and install heavier cables and more sub-stations.

The stalemate follows a court ruling in January which ordered the government to do more to reduce nitrogen emissions. In addition, the Council of State earlier ruled that the government must stop offsetting pollution in one area with measures taken elsewhere – a practice Liander has previously relied on.

The problems are particularly acute in the Veluwe heathland region, a protected area covering almost 90,000 hectares. Last week, Gelderland province said it would no longer grant permits for projects in the region that would lead to additional nitrogen emissions.

Dutch construction lobby group Bouwend Nederland said in March that more than one-third of the new homes scheduled to be built in the Netherlands by 2030 may not be realised because of nitrogen-related regulations.

The organisation says 244,000 homes near environmentally sensitive areas are at risk due to nitrogen emissions generated during the construction process. Around 75% of plans for schools, hospitals and other public service buildings are also in doubt.

The construction sector accounts for 0.6% of total nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands, according to government figures. Most of this is produced by the equipment used during building work.