Urenco Nederlands Managing Director addresses Dutch Parliamentary committee about nuclear energy

Urenco Nederlands Managing Director, Ad Louter, was one of 12 experts invited to present to a parliamentary round table discussion on nuclear energy in the Netherlands last month.

Delivering a position paper and answering questions from Members of Parliament, Mr Louter spoke in his capacity as Nucleair Nederland (the Dutch nuclear industry association) Chairman and made a plea to create a level playing field for all low-carbon energy sources.

A number of key questions were raised during the debate, for instance on how to calculate system costs when weighing up nuclear energy against alternative forms of energy generation. Discussions also took place on how to best meet the 25-30% energy requirement that cannot be fulfilled by solar and wind, and the role that hydrogen can play in the transition to a low-carbon energy mix.

The speakers represented science (Universities of Delft and Groningen), the nuclear industry and several NGOs. The majority of speakers, saw potential for nuclear energy in the energy mix, provided that the government created the right conditions.

Leading up to the parliamentary discussion, EPZ, the operator of the only nuclear power plant in the Netherlands, published a position paper calling for more nuclear energy. EPZ, who was represented at the round table discussion by its Managing Director, Carlo Wolters, stated that “all climate-neutral sources of electricity are necessary to meet the growing demand for electricity.” Mr Wolters made a plea to extend the lifetime of the current Borssele nuclear power plant for 10-20 years beyond its current end date of 2033 and to build two new Generation III 1,500 MW plants by the mid-2030s. Mr Wolters added: “Borssele is an ideal location for a nuclear power plant… We have the skills and the knowledge and the infrastructure.”

In March, general elections will take place in the Netherlands. The energy transition and the potential role of nuclear energy will be an important theme in the campaigns and in the negotiations to form a new coalition government.

EPZ’s position paper (in Dutch) can be downloaded here. Nuclear Netherlands’ position paper (in English) can be found here

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