Dutch parliamentarians urge minister to decide on nuclear plant construction

Members of the lower house of parliament have been pushing for Economic and Climate Minister Rob Jetten to confirm when construction of the two promised nuclear power plants is set to start.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine rages on, the subject of finding alternatives to Russian gas has become a priority. As of last week, the Russian share of Dutch gas consumption was at 15%. Europe as a whole is at 34%.

The government has already discussed the addition of nuclear power as a supplement for solar, geothermal, and wind energy in the Netherlands.

However, while the cabinet has confirmed the construction of two new nuclear power stations, it has not confirmed when construction will begin.

Members of the lower Dutch house now want Jetten to decide on the building process as nuclear stations can take years to build. According to the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), building a large nuclear unit can take five to seven years.

“We are now going to accelerate the energy transition to reduce our dependence on Russia. Nuclear energy is one of the most important techniques required for the medium term”, Silvio Erkens, a VVD MP told the Telegraaf.

“I want the cabinet to make decisions quickly about the location, financing, and role of the government in the construction,” he added.