EPZ proposes to build two new nuclear reactors at Borssele in the Netherlands

The Dutch power company EPZ, which owns and operates the 485 MW Borssele nuclear plant that was commissioned in Zeeland in 1973 and is expected to stop operations in 2033, intends to extend the life of the Netherlands’ only nuclear power plant and considers building two more nuclear reactors at the same site. The construction of a new reactor at Borssele would require an investment of €8bn to €10bn and would take 8 years.

A parliamentary majority reached in late 2018 supported the construction of new nuclear capacity to expand on the existing capacity. In September 2020, the Dutch government decided to organise a public consultation on building new nuclear power plants to assess under which conditions market parties are interested in investing in nuclear power plants in the Netherlands, and to investigate what kind of public support would be needed, and in which regions there is interest in the construction of a new nuclear plant. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate commissioned a study that argued that the costs of nuclear energy would be comparable to wind and solar if all costs (extra network costs, costs for balancing the grid, connection costs) are included in the same way.