Dutch nuclear plant Borssele approved for longer life

FRANKFURT/AMSTERDAM - Dutch nuclear reactor Borssele has been given permission to operate up to 2033, though the approval can still be contested, Dutch and German stakeholders said on Wednesday.

Started in 1973, the 500 megawatt plant is one of the oldest reactors in Europe. It is 70 percent owned by Dutch generator Delta, in turn owned by Dutch provincial authorities, and 30 percent by German utility RWE .

The plant was due to shut in 2014 but the Dutch government had agreed in 2006 to extend its lifespan until 2033, while requesting additional inspections before issuing a permit, said a spokeswoman for EPZ, the operating company for the Netherlands sole nuclear plant in the southwest of the country.
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