Residents in several Dutch municipalities have expressed concerns after the Ministry of Defence nominated possible locations for a new large-scale ammunition storage. The new facility requires 70 hectares of space. 

Possible ammunition storage locations must meet requirements

The Dutch Ministry of Defence is looking for more space to store ammunition, either in one new large-scale storage facility or two smaller storage facilities. One of the main reasons to expand storage is because other NATO countries are reaching their storage capacities and the Netherlands has a good strategic position should ammunition need to be transported quickly. 

Possible locations are being considered based on various requirements, such as having a good connection to main roads, inland shipping and railways, little to no construction in the area, as well as not being under landing, take off or approach zones for Dutch airports. 

Based on these criteria, eight possible locations have been suggested. These are in Biddinghuizen, Dalfsen, Dronten, Hummelo, Weerselo, Zeevenaar, Zoelen-Oost or Zoelen-West. 

Arrival of ammunition storage facilities could push out residents

Municipalities in which the possible locations are located are not enthusiastic about the situation, and residents have also voiced concerns. In Hummelo, the proposed facility would mean that around 100 houses would need to be demolished and other residents living around the location would have to move elsewhere. Some residents have started a petition against the depot to prevent this from happening.

The Ministry of Defence uses four security zones around the ammunition depots, namely zones A, B, C1 and C2, with A being closest to the storage facility. There are restrictions for each zone, as follows:

• Zone A: residence, work and transport is not allowed
• Zone B: residence is not allowed
• Zone C: no buildings where a lot of people are present for a large part of the day, e.g. schools or cafes

The government plans to choose a definite location for the storage facility in early 2025, with other plans for new training grounds, low-flying areas for helicopters and runways, as well as smaller ammunition storage locations such as those proposed for Groningen. 

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