RWE wants to invest in Dutch nuclear power plants-CEO

AMSTERDAM Feb 14 (Reuters) - German energy company RWE (RWEG.DE) is prepared to invest in new Dutch nuclear energy power plants following its acquisition of Dutch peer Essent, its Chief Executive told a Dutch daily on Saturday.

RWE, Europe's fifth largest utility, agreed last month to buy Dutch state-owned peer Essent's production and delivery assets for 8.2 billion euros ($10.6 billion) in a deal that also includes Essent's 50 percent stake in the Netherlands' only operating nuclear power plant.

"Obviously, we want to invest in new nuclear power plants if politicians allow that," RWE CEO Jurgen Grossmann told newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad. "That would then come on top of the previously announced investments in the Netherlands."

Essent is co-owner of the Borssele nuclear power plant in the south of the Netherlands with Dutch peer Delta, but the statutes governing the partnership stipulate that it cannot be sold to a listed company, which RWE is.

Delta has indicated that it would be prepared to buy out Essent's stake rather than amend the statutes, but Grossman told the newspaper he is "very optimistic" that RWE will eventually obtain co-ownership of the plant.

Delta was not immediately available for comment.

The Borssele nuclear plant will remain operational until 2033, but Delta said last year it wanted to build a new nuclear power plant at the same site.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said at the time that the coalition government had agreed that no new plants would be built during the current government's mandate, but did not rule out making decisions for future plants. ($1=.7742 Euro) (Reporting by Aaron Gray-Block; Editing by Victoria Main)