New investments in natural gas and nuclear power

We need new terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) very soon, and two new nuclear power plants will be constructed in the Dutch town of Borssele. Nuclear power has long been taboo ever since Fukushima, and fossil investments were officially banned at the climate summit COP-26 just a year ago.

All this illustrates how lacking in vision our energy policy is. Our governments do not look beyond four years ahead, they make all sorts of unfounded assumptions (for example, that biomass and natural gas-free homes save CO₂), and they do not take changing circumstances into account.

IO articles from Maarten Van Andel

Maarten van Andel is director of Applied Natural Sciences at Fontys University of Applied Sciences. He previously worked for over thirty years as a researcher, project leader and director in the high-tech industry.

Incidentally, the new LNG terminals and nuclear power plants are prudent decisions. Otherwise we risk being left out in the cold in a year’s time and more coal-fired power plants will increase CO₂ broadcasts. I do find it extremely worrying that we did not make these decisions eight years earlier. All the signs and knowledge to do so have been around for a long time. Since the Russian invasion of Crimea and definitely also when the foolish and implausible COP-26 ban on fossil investments was rolled out.

Nuclear energy of the future – Innovation Origins

Nuclear energy alternatives are seen as the future of energy. But are they realistic solution or just a pipe dream?

The energy debate has morphed into a politically correct vicious circle in which critical voices are dogmatically vilified. There are hardly any journalists, politicians and executives who dare to publicly stray from the official energy line. This is bad for our democracy, and leads to today’s ineffective and prohibitively expensive wavering policies. I toast to a New Year with more openness and an energy policy that is based on vision, facts and logic.

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