THE HAGUE, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch government announced on Friday a plan to build two new nuclear power plants by 2035, which will cover 9-13 percent of the country's total electricity needs by then.
The two "third-generation nuclear power plants" will each have a capacity of 1,000 to 1,650 megawatts, the government said in a press release.
The new plants are expected to be constructed at Borssele in the westernmost province of Zeeland, where the country's only existing nuclear power plant is located. It covers about 3 percent of the Netherlands' total electricity needs.
The government is also preparing to extend the operating life of the existing nuclear power plant so that it can continue to operate safely after 2033, according to the press release.
The government has "opted for nuclear energy because the Netherlands needs all clean energy sources to achieve the climate goals and to emit no more CO2 in the production of electricity by 2040 at the latest," it said. ■
