Esso Nederland B.V. and ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V. (hereinafter: Esso and ExxonMobil) have applied for a licence under the Nuclear Energy Act. Interested parties have the right to appeal against this licence until 7 October 2026.
Image: © Havenbedrijf Rotterdam
Purpose of the licence
Esso and ExxonMobil engage in the processing of crude oil into fuels such as petrol, diesel oil and kerosene. These activities take place in oil refineries. Crude oil can contain small amounts of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), which are left behind during the refining process and can become concentrated in the forms of scale and sludge at refineries. Esso and ExxonMobil have applied for a licence amendment so that they can safely work at the refineries in the Botlek area with NORM released during oil processing and refinery maintenance, including its storage and disposal. These activities will take place on Botlekweg 121 in Botlek-Rotterdam.
Appeals possible until 7 October 2026
If you wish to object to the licence, you can; appeal (Dutch) to the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State until 7 October 2026.
There are three situations in which you may submit an appeal. To submit an appeal, you must be an interested party directly affected by the licence. Additionally, you can submit an appeal if you previously submitted a statement of view for the draft licence. If you did not submit a statement of view previously, but cannot be reasonably held accountable for failing to do so, you may also submit an appeal.
More information about the licence
You can find more information in the licence https://puc.overheid.nl/anvs/ (Dutch) on the government’s platform for executive agency publications: puc.overheid.nl/anvs.
Responses to the draft licence
Anyone who wanted to could submit a response to the draft licence between 8 July 2026 and 19 August 2026. No responses to the draft licence were received.
More information on this topic
Go to anvs.nl for more information about the draft licence and the associated documents or read the official announcement [LINK] in the Government Gazette.
Questions
If you have any questions, please call the Information Desk for Nuclear Energy Act licences. They are available from Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on +31 88 489 05 00. You can also ask your question by email. In that case, send a message to postbus.aanvragenenmelden@anvs.nl with ‘Question concerning Esso and ExxonMobil licence’ in the subject line of your email.
Role of the ANVS
The Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS) ensures compliance with the highest standards of nuclear safety and radiation protection in the Netherlands. To fulfil this duty, the ANVS defines rules, issues licences, carries out inspections and takes enforcement action if necessary.