Overview
- The cabinet told parliament on June 19 that only the Eemshaven in Groningen and the Paulinapolder/Terneuzen in Zeeland remain under consideration and that the Maasvlakte and Sloe/Borssele have been dropped.
- A confidential TenneT study, leaked to the press, concludes Eemshaven is the most grid‑efficient and lowest net‑cost place to host two large reactors but the advice explicitly did not assess earthquake risk or social acceptability.
- The government has placed purchase pre‑emption rights on candidate parcels in both locations and said it will prefer a Zeeland site if Eemshaven and Terneuzen prove equally feasible.
- Groningen provincial and municipal leaders sharply oppose reviving Eemshaven for nuclear use, citing past promises after gas‑induced earthquakes, while site owners such as ENGIE say they were surprised to be named.
- The cabinet is keeping parallel work on small modular reactors, supply chains and radioactive waste arrangements, and expects to present a provisional location decision later in 2026 that will shape long construction, local disruption and grid investment needs.