Old coal-fired power stations will be allowed to stay open if they meet tougher pollution standards, economic affairs minister Henk Kamp said on Thursday.

The energy agreement signed by environmental groups, energy firms and the government last August said the old power stations would be closed down.

However, by placing extra demands on the power stations, a similar effect can be obtained to closing down the five oldest, Kamp said. In addition, the cost of meeting the new requirements may outweigh the benefits and result in closure anyway, the Volkskrant says.

Kamp was ordered to rethink the plans by the Dutch consumer authority ACM which said closing them would conflict with competition law. This is because consumers would be disavantaged because energy prices will go up.