Borssele, 2005, the 16th of February

Dutch Minister opens the door to longer life for Borssele

On Tuesday the 15th of February, 2005, the Dutch Junior Minister of Environment, Pieter van Geel, has stated that he wants to re-open the debate on the closure of the Borssele NPP in 2013. The ruling coalition government, which came to power in 2003, included in its political program the shut-down of the only Dutch nuclear power plant in 2013 at the latest. Pieter van Geel (Christian Democrat Party) was charged with the implementation of this pledge. Until last December, he firmly stated that he was unwilling to re-visit the nuclear debate and that the shutdown of Borssele in 2013 was a firm decision. However, concrete legal actions have not yet been taken.

The Borssele reactor presently has an unlimited operating license and is in a good material condition. Its operator, EPZ, has announced its intention to run it well beyond 2013. So a change in the law would be required to have it forcibly shut down.

Pieter van Geel said that he now wants to re-open the debate on the wisdom of closing a safe nuclear plant in the light of the climate policy challenge.

On Monday the 14th of February 2005, another Dutch Minister, Bernard Bot (Foreign Affairs, also Christian Democrat Party) said in an official speech also that the Dutch should reconsider the use of nuclear energy. He cited security of supply as the motivation.

  Jan Wieman
WONUC Vice President for Netherlands