Dutch government considers taking control of the country's only nuclear power plant

The Netherlands currently has one nuclear unit, but more could be added over the next decade. The country’s only nuclear power plant is currently co-owned by the local province and German company RWE. This week, the Dutch government announced it was ready to discuss acquiring the majority stake owned by the provincial government. It could also buy RWE’s minority stake if the company were no longer interested in operating the plant.

The Netherlands has so far failed to form a new government since the November elections, although this situation could change in the coming weeks. The outgoing government said this week that it was ready to begin talks on acquiring a 70% stake in the Borssele nuclear power plant. The stake is currently owned by the province of Zeeland, but according to Reuters, the government said the province would like to sell its stake to the state.

The remaining 30% is held by German company RWE. The Dutch government said it would also consider acquiring this remaining stake if RWE did not want to continue operating the plant. In addition to building new units, the government is also exploring options for extending the operation of the existing unit.

Representatives of the new government currently being formed also support the construction of new nuclear units as part of efforts to reduce dependence on “unreliable countries.” However, according to Reuters, it is unclear whether the new government will support the purchase of the Borssele nuclear power plant from the local province. The site of the existing nuclear facility is nevertheless one of the preferred locations for building new nuclear facilities.