Overview
- A confidential TenneT report, reported on Thursday, concluded the Eemshaven is uniquely able to host two co‑located reactors without major extra grid upgrades or system costs.
- Following the leak, minister Stientje van Veldhoven told parliament the field has been narrowed to Terneuzen and the Eemshaven with the Maasvlakte and Sloe/Borssele effectively out of contention.
- Groningen provincial and municipal leaders said they were ‘very surprised’ and reiterated earlier promises and a provincial planning vision that rule out reactors in the Eemshaven.
- TenneT’s view rests on concrete infrastructure advantages in the Eemshaven such as an existing high‑voltage connection and cooling water access while Terneuzen would need new grid links, raising build costs.
- The cabinet will take the TenneT advice into account before a provisional location decision in September 2026 and has already secured first‑right‑to‑buy on candidate plots to limit land speculation.