The Dutch government wants to build new nuclear power plants in the Netherlands. But where will they be located – in other words, how do you determine the most suitable location? And what can be done to carefully consider the interests of the surrounding area in that choice? Our consultants assisted the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth with this issue. ‘Such a project can be a flywheel to solve other problems as well.’

Nuclear energy: it has been a taboo in the Netherlands for years, but that has changed. With the energy transition, our country wants to switch to more sustainable forms of energy, also to become more independent from other countries. According to the Dutch government, nuclear energy can play a role in this.

‘The Rutte IV cabinet wanted to build two new nuclear power plants, the Schoof cabinet went a few steps further with plans for four power plants’ says SSE consultant Mart Scheepers from WesselinkVanZijst. ‘As those plans became more concrete, we at WesselinkVanZijst were asked to take a look at a participation plan for the new construction of the first two power plants.’

With a complex project like a nuclear power plant, there's a lot to be done. To give you an idea: the new plants – so-called Generation III reactors – should each yield about 2 to 3 times as much energy as the existing nuclear power plant in Borssele. ‘We've never built anything like it in the Netherlands before,’ says Mart, ‘So it demands a lot: from the people working on it, but also from the surrounding area. Because such a new plant has an enormous impact. Especially during the construction phase.’

Ten thousand people

The construction of a nuclear power plant takes about ten years, explains the consultant. ‘During that period, an estimated ten thousand people will be working on the plant. This means potential traffic congestion, noise, and crowds in the surrounding area. Just consider: a municipality like Borssele – one of the potential locations – has fewer than 25,000 inhabitants in total. And that's the entire municipality; fewer than two thousand people live in the village of Borssele itself. So, there would be five times more people.’

In addition, fundamental issues and choices also play a role. Not everyone is in favor of nuclear energy. What do you do with the waste, and what about safety? Many studies show that nuclear power plants are no less safe today than other forms of energy, says Mart. ‘And fortunately, things don't go wrong often, but if they do, the consequences can be enormous – people then think of Fukushima and Chernobyl.’

Enough to consider, then. The Ministry of Climate and Green Growth asked WesselinkVanZijst for advice on the participation plan they had written. ‘We found that the plan was not yet complete, and that the level of stakeholder engagement, in our view, did not match the impact on the region. We were then asked to complete and implement the plan.’

Different roles

In the subsequent process, Mart and his colleagues gradually took on different roles. ‘We advised the government on the design of participation. Additionally, we facilitated the process between different government bodies to reach cooperation agreements. Subsequently, we helped anchor the SSE methodology in the Nuclear Energy policy department. And when someone was urgently needed in a region, we temporarily took on the role of strategic stakeholder engagement professional.’

It is precisely this combination of roles and expertise that is characteristic of WesselinkVanZijst, says Mart. ‘That's what we're good at, and that's how we provide the most value to clients. In any process, we always think one step ahead: what does a particular decision actually mean? And for whom? What is the purpose of making a certain choice, and will that purpose indeed be achieved? Logical questions, especially in complex and sensitive projects. Yet, it doesn't happen nearly often enough.’

When you take on different roles in a project, being careful is crucial. ‘We ensure that through good agreements with the client and by making sure all parties at the table have confidence in us as process facilitators,’ says Mart.

Careful process

The central question in this participatory process was how to arrive at the best informed location-decision together. In other words, how does the minister get all the information she needs to make a well-considered choice?

The goal of participation is not to win everyone over to nuclear energy, emphasizes Mart. ‘Those who are fundamentally against it often remain so. And that's fine. What matters is that you go through a careful process. All interests must be brought to the table, so that no one can say afterwards: my interests were not considered in the decision.’ Or: 'you forgot to investigate these potential effects.'

Support for the process, that's what it's all about. ‘We create that by engaging in conversations with governments, companies in the area, and residents. But also by organizing round table sessions where community organizations from the area discuss – with the ministry and with each other – the potential consequences and opportunities of the arrival of nuclear power plants.’

Resolving existing issues

As they spoke with the stakeholders and mapped out all interests, Mart and his colleagues explicitly looked for opportunities and possibilities in the region. ‘A large project like a nuclear power plant can act as a flywheel to solve existing problems as well.’

In some regions, for example, there are currently too few general practitioners or sports fields. Or the region is difficult to reach. ‘Temporarily adding ten thousand residents makes for good argument to improve infrastructure or bring facilities up to standard. The region also benefits from that. The intention now is that the involved authorities of the chosen location will jointly draw up a so-called State-Region Package, in which they will make agreements in all sorts of areas.’

Participating more efficiently

Along the way, Mart gained another insight: participation also has its limits. ‘Nowadays, more and more is being asked of residents and interest groups. Take a municipality like Borssele: there are currently no fewer than eight national projects underway, plus all sorts of local initiatives. It's no different in Groningen and at Maasvlakte.’

Consequence: people are being overburdened. ‘Even if they want to, they simply don't have the time to attend yet another meeting. In my work, I have always advocated for greater stakeholder involvement. But we as professionals really need to think about how we can organize that smarter in the future. This includes initiators collaborating more on participation.’

Where the new nuclear power plants will ultimately be built remains to be seen. The research, and thus also discussions with stakeholders, are still ongoing. ‘We delivered a new participation strategy this autumn, which the ministry can now continue with,’ says Mart.

‘It remains exciting because there are many interests at play in the regions. Therefore, the priority now is to get all information on the table, and then it's up to the minister: he ultimately decides where the new plants will be built.’

This is what the client says

Thanks to Wesselink van Zijst, we have established a solid and well-thought-out structure for strategic stakeholder engagement surrounding the construction of new nuclear power plants. This resulted in a concrete approach, with clear goals and principles, and cooperation agreements with various stakeholders. Mart and Ingrid have demonstrated that they can effortlessly switch between different roles: from strategic consultant to stakeholder manager or process facilitator. They brought a lot of knowledge and experience, and we enjoyed working together!

Charlotte Rogge-SchneiderStrategic Stakeholder Manager at the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth

At WesselinkVanZijst, we work with organizations to develop strategic stakeholder engagement (SSE) through training, consulting, and sharing knowledge. This helps ensure that complex societal challenges are addressed more smoothly and efficiently. Would you like to discuss this further? Please contact Mart Scheepers (senior consultant) at
mart.scheepers@wesselinkvanzijst.nl.