The Dutch village at risk of being demolished
Moerdijk, a modest fishing village of about 1,100 people, is under threat of being removed from the map. Situated 34 kilometers south of Rotterdam, this coastal community lies along the Hollands Diep estuary. Its location, however, places it at the heart of a national struggle over land use in the Netherlands’ drive toward renewable energy.
The Dutch government is pushing for new sites to host high-voltage substations, which are crucial for connecting electricity from offshore wind farms to the grid. Yet the country faces a shortage of available land. Moerdijk’s position on the southern shore of the estuary, alongside ports and motorways, makes it a strategic choice for developers. Despite its natural advantages, the village is now seen as a potential sacrifice zone for the nation’s green energy ambitions.
Struggle for survival
Jaco Koman, a third-generation fishmonger, voices his concern from his office overlooking the estuary’s shimmering waters. His family has fished these waters since 1918, and his business continues to preserve eels for smoking—a tradition cherished across the country. As he gestures to the horizon, he warns of the impending threat. “You go to bed with it and you wake up with it,” he says, referring to the village’s possible clearance for energy infrastructure.
“We are being brought to the slaughter house,” Koman remarks. His company still hauls live eels from the sea, though the sight of the wriggling fish in the warehouse leaves him amused by the visitor’s squeamishness. “Be careful they can jump,” he laughs, as if the situation itself is a joke.
Moerdijk’s residents are grappling with uncertainty. For sale signs dot the gravel roads, but few are eager to commit to a place that may be uprooted. A somber atmosphere hangs in the air, symbolized by flags draped at half mast—a gesture of mourning for a village that may no longer exist.
For Andrea, the owner of the local grocery shop, the stakes are deeply personal. Her husband built their home by hand, and all three of their children were born there. “I’m scared I’ll lose my house,” she admits. “There’s so much life here. But in 10 years, it may be nothing.” The thought of the village cemetery, where her grandparents and in-laws rest, adds to her unease. What will become of the graves if the area is redeveloped?
A nation’s energy dilemma
The debate in Moerdijk reflects a broader challenge across the Netherlands. With limited land, the country must balance competing needs: housing, farming, nature conservation, transport, industry, and the infrastructure required for renewable energy. In some regions, the electricity grid is already overloaded, forcing projects to wait years for a connection.
Despite the urgency, offshore wind farms could theoretically be linked to the grid farther out at sea, with converter stations placed away from residential areas. Yet planners argue that Moerdijk’s proximity to existing power lines and its open space make it an ideal location. “When the national government says, ‘This is vital national interest,’ there are tools to enforce it,” explains Geerten Boogaard, a professor of local government at Leiden University. “Local councils can resist, but ultimately, the central state holds the power.”
