8 September 2008

THE HAGUE -- Former prime minister Ruud Lubbers has criticised his own governing Christian Democrat party's nuclear energy plans.

Speaking in the television discussion programme, Buitenhof, Lubbers said he thought it was regrettable that the leader of the parliamentary party Pieter van Geel favours the construction of new nuclear power plants in the Netherlands.

He said it was drawing attention away from the development of CCS technology, the retention and storage of carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels.

Lubbers said he thought this was a safer option than storing nuclear waste underground.

He is not against nuclear energy, but opposes the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant close to Rotterdam, his home city.

[Radio Netherlands / Expatica]

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