Moerdijk faces possible demolition for Dutch energy hub

Moerdijk, a small Dutch port village of about 1,150 people, faces an uncertain future as the Netherlands considers whether to use the area for a major clean-energy infrastructure project.

The planned Powerport project would develop several hundred hectares for large-scale energy infrastructure, green industry and chemicals-sector recycling. The Moerdijk Port website says the development is needed to connect offshore wind power and ease grid congestion.

The village, in the south of the Netherlands between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, had been earmarked for possible removal to make way for the project. Residents have put up protest banners saying “Moerdijk must stay”.

Pim Meijer, who represents a residents’ collective covering about half the village, said people felt anger, disbelief and mistrust toward the government. He said some families had lived in Moerdijk for three or four generations.

The Dutch government has suggested the project could potentially be built on a smaller site on the outskirts of the village, which could allow Moerdijk to remain. A final decision has not been made, and the government has not set a deadline.

Patrick Witte, an associate professor for land planning, said Moerdijk is attractive for energy planners because it sits between major ports and has sea, motorway and rail links. He also warned that even if the village is preserved, it could be surrounded by energy facilities, the port and a motorway.

Mayor Aart-Jan Moerkerke said the national government should make a decision and stick to it. “If the village is to be preserved, it must remain a pleasant place to live,” he said.