Introduction

The Netherlands has large reserves of natural gas. Nuclear energy plays a modest role in the Netherlands compared to other countries such as France or Belgium. The country has only one nuclear power plant at Borssele, which accounted for only 4% of total electricity generation in 2006. The Borssele NPP had until recently been scheduled for closure. In June 2006, the ruling coalition signed an agreement to reverse its previous policy of closing down the country’s only remaining nuclear power reactor by 2013. The Dutch government has decided to prolong the life of the country's sole nuclear power plant to 2033. The government also plans to increase nuclear’s contribution to ensure security of supply and curb greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, the Netherlands has ratified the Kyoto protocol and accepted a target reduction of 6% of greenhouse gas emissions during the period 2008-2012 within the EU burden-sharing program. The modernisation of the Borssele NPP, which began in 1991, brought it in line with the accepted benchmark safety standards required at a modern plant. The Dutch Environment Ministry sent a letter on 28 September 2006 to the Parliament setting up conditions for industry to build new nuclear units. In May 2008, the Dutch Economics Minister Ms van der Hoeven, said the Netherlands could not exclude nuclear new build if the Netherlands was to meet its Kyoto targets. She is due to present a report to the parliament in June outlining Dutch energy options. The government is to decide on a solution for waste management by 2016, before a new plant becomes operational. The decision can be seen as evidence of a growing realisation among countries with a nuclear phase-out policy that nuclear power offers the best solution to the ongoing problems of security of supply, climate change and rising energy costs.

Country Profile

Executive Summary

The Netherlands has large reserves of natural gas. Nuclear energy plays a modest role in the Netherlands compared to other countries such as France or Belgium. The country has only one nuclear power plant at Borssele, which accounted for only 4% of total electricity generation in 2006. The Borssele NPP had until recently been scheduled for closure. In June 2006, the ruling coalition signed an agreement to reverse its previous policy of closing down the country’s only remaining nuclear power reactor by 2013. The Dutch government has decided to prolong the life of the country's sole nuclear power plant to 2033. The government also plans to increase nuclear’s contribution to ensure security of supply and curb greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, the Netherlands has ratified the Kyoto protocol and accepted a target reduction of 6% of greenhouse gas emissions during the period 2008-2012 within the EU burden-sharing program. The modernisation of the Borssele NPP, which began in 1991, brought it in line with the accepted benchmark safety standards required at a modern plant. The Dutch Environment Ministry sent a letter on 28 September 2006 to the Parliament setting up conditions for industry to build new nuclear units. In May 2008, the Dutch Economics Minister Ms van der Hoeven, said the Netherlands could not exclude nuclear new build if the Netherlands was to meet its Kyoto targets. She is due to present a report to the parliament in June outlining Dutch energy options. The government is to decide on a solution for waste management by 2016, before a new plant becomes operational. The decision can be seen as evidence of a growing realisation among countries with a nuclear phase-out policy that nuclear power offers the best solution to the ongoing problems of security of supply, climate change and rising energy costs.

Security of supply

The Netherlands has large reserves of natural gas. The country is the world’s eighth biggest producer of natural gas after the USA, Russia, Canada, the UK, Algerian, Iran and Indonesia. In the North Sea region, five countries (UK, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany) have proven combined natural gas reserves of 169.8 trillion cubic feet. Norway and the Netherlands account for over three-quarters of these reserves. The onshore Groningen field, located in the north-east of the country, accounts for about one half of the Netherlands’ total natural gas production, with remaining production spread across small fields both onshore and in the North Sea. The Netherlands also has crude oil reserves, but production has been in decline since 1986, and they have to import oil mainly from the UK. Nuclear energy plays a modest role in the Netherlands compared to other countries like France or Belgium. The country has only one nuclear power plant, at Borssele, which accounted for 4% of total electricity generation in 2006.

Nuclear Policy

The Dodewaard BWR (Boiling Water Reactor) NPP began operation in 1968. In October 1996, the plant’s owners decided to shut down the reactor permanently for economic reasons. The shut-down became effective in March 1997. It was originally intended to remain in operation until 1995. Its operation was extended first to January 1997 and later to 2004. All the spent fuel has been removed from the plant and it is now in “safe enclosure.”

The Borssele PWR (Pressurised Water Reactor) NPP started operating in 1971. Decisions taken by the Dutch government and the Parliament to build new NPPs were suspended twice. In 1986, the government abandoned its plan to expand the number of NPPs following the Chernobyl accident. The Dutch government and the electricity producers agreed, in December 1994, that the Borssele NPP should be shut down at the end of 2003. However, in February 2000 the State Council cancelled the time limit of 31 December 2003 and there was no longer a time limit specified in the license for the Borssele NPP. In January 2004, the Junior Environment Minister announced the preparation of a comprehensive action plan for closure of the Borssele NPP, which would include a final shutdown date for Borssele, financial provisions for the decommissioning of the plant and the final management of its spent fuel waste. The Dutch government said that the plant would be shut down at the end of 2013, after 40 years’ operation.

However, in June 2006, the ruling coalition signed an agreement to reverse its previous policy of closing down the country’s only remaining nuclear power reactor by 2013. The Dutch government had already announced in January 2006 its decision to prolong the life of the country's sole nuclear power plant for another twenty years, to 2033. The main reason for this decision is to ensure security of supply and curb greenhouse gas emissions. The change is based on a Christian Democratic Alliance report on sustainable energy that was supported by the VVD. All parties in the governing coalition now agree that the Borssele NPP must remain operational. The Dutch Environment Ministry sent a letter on 28 September 2006 to the Parliament setting up conditions for industry to build new nuclear units. In May 2008, the Dutch Economics Minister Ms van der Hoeven, said the Netherlands could not exclude nuclear new build if the Netherlands was to meet its Kyoto targets. She is due to present a report to the parliament in June outlining Dutch energy options. The government is to decide on a solution for waste management by 2016, before a new plant becomes operational. The decision can be seen as evidence of a growing realization among countries with a nuclear phase-out policy that nuclear power offers the best solution to the ongoing problems of security of supply, climate change and rising energy costs.

Safety and Waste Management

In September 1994, the Netherlands signed the Convention on Nuclear Safety and it reports on the national implementation of its principles every year . Following the Chernobyl accident, the government ordered a thorough screening of the safety of both existing plants. It led to the modernization of the Borssele NPP, which began operating in 1991. This brought the Borssele NPP, as far as was reasonably achievable, in line with the current safety standards required at a modern plant. The Dodewaard reactor was shut down in 1997. All the spent fuel has been removed from the site and the plant is now in “safe enclosure”. The remaining fuel was sent to the BNFL reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

All radioactive waste produced in the Netherlands is managed by the Centrale Organisatie Voor Radioactief Afval (COVRA ) which is located at Borssele. Storage facilities for low and medium-level radioactive waste as well as for high-level radioactive waste are located there. This facility, which is under the direct management of COVRA, is designed to manage waste for a period of at least 100 years.

Climate Change

The Netherlands has ratified the Kyoto protocol and accepted a target reduction of 6% of greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 level during the period 2008-2012, within the context of the EU burden-sharing programme. The government fixed this concrete target in its Climate Policy Implementing Paper, which was published in 1999. When this paper was published, greenhouse gas emissions were expected to show a further substantial increase in the years to 2010, in the absence of a climate policy. To meet the reduction target, the Netherlands has to cut down its emissions by 50 Mtoe CO2 equivalents up until 2012.

Public Opinion

According to an internet poll carried out by the Maurice de Hond organisation, half of the Dutch population supports an expansion of nuclear power. The poll also found that 97% of the respondents were in favour of more government investment in alternative energy sources.

1. You can have access to the Dutch National Report 2005 on Nuclear Safety at: http://international.vrom.nl/docs/internationaal/CNS3-NL%20report%202005.pdf
2. You can have access to the COVRA Website at: http://www.covra.nl/800x600/index1.html
3. Climate Policy Implementing Paper Part I, Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and theEnvironment, 1999