The refusal of the permit is a line through the account of Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen). As federal energy minister, she must enable the nuclear phase-out by 2025, which requires gas-fired power stations. If not, the security of supply will be jeopardized and sooner or later the lights will go out. That is why the minister is going to subsidize 2 to 3 gas-fired power stations.
It is striking that the local party branch of Groen in Tessenderlo reacts positively to the news that the permit for the power station in the Limburg municipality has been refused. The party is locally in opposition.
“We have something to celebrate”, local Groen chairman Dirk Camps responds. “In Tessenderlo we already have a large industrial estate with three Ceveso companies, 900 meters from the village centre. In addition, we already have a 400 megawatt gas plant there. At a certain point, the backyard is full.” That is why the local party branch was not asking for even more emitting industry.
Does this not go against the policy of its own minister? “The minister has the bad luck that nothing has been done about energy policy for 20 years and that she now has to choose between the plague and cholera,” says Dirk Camps. “I am a local politician and I stand up for the interests of the people of Tessenderlo. The people who are federally empowered have to make their decisions.”
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