The new Dutch government will support the construction of at least four new utility-scale nuclear power plants as part of a plan to more than triple government funding for nuclear power projects.

Silvio Erkens, a member of the center-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), said officials were already planning a tender to identify technology for at least the first two plants, Dutch media reported. The party will join the new government. Officials also said they would consider buying a stake in the 485-megawatt single-unit Boselle nuclear power station, currently the only nuclear power plant in the Netherlands, if officials decide to extend current operations to 2033, beyond the original license expiration date.

The Boselle plant has a pressurized water reactor that has been in operation since 1973. The International Atomic Energy Agency says the plant still provides about 3.3 percent of the country's electricity as of 2022.

The new coalition government said it had set aside funds to study whether extending the operating life of the Bolselle nuclear power station was technically feasible and safe. German utility RWE owns 30 percent of the plant. The remaining 70% is owned by Zeeland Energy, a publicly traded company made up of groups such as the province of Zeeland and the municipalities of the province.

The new government will reportedly allocate 14 billion euros ($15.2 billion) for the nuclear power construction program. The program has now received about 4.5 billion euros ($4.9 billion) in funding. The new initiative builds on plans put forward by Dutch officials last year to extend the life of the Borssele nuclear power plant and build a new one as part of the country's climate plan. (This article from see road official website www.seetao.com without permission must not be reproduced, reproduced please indicate see road network + original link) See road network strategic column editor/Xu Shengpeng