The Spanish Congress session on 12 February (Image: www.congreso.es)
The Plenary Session of the Spanish Congress has approved a proposal calling for the government to implement a series of measures that would reverse the country’s decision to phase out nuclear power. Under current plans, Spain’s power reactors are all scheduled to shut by 2035.
The proposal, presented by the right-wing People’s Party, was passed in its original terms on 12 February, with 171 votes in favour, 164 against and 14 abstentions.
Spain’s seven operating nuclear power reactors – Almaraz I and II, Ascó I and II, Cofrentes, Trillo and Vandellós II – generate about 20% of its electricity. Under the country’s nuclear phase-out plans, agreed in 2019, four reactors are scheduled to close by the end of 2030, while the remaining three reactors will shut by 2035.
The text of the approved proposal urges the government to extend the operational life of existing nuclear power plants in Spain, “in accordance with European regulations, the guidance of the Nuclear Safety Council, and plant operators, while considering technical and economic criteria”.
It also calls for the government to “ensure the economic sustainability of nuclear facilities, recognising the key role of this technology in the energy transition as it guarantees a secure and stable electricity supply and contributes to lower electricity market prices and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions”.
The government is also urged to hold talks with municipalities, regional governments, and local authorities affected by the planned shutdown of the country’s seven reactors. In addition, it says the National Commission on Markets and Competition and the electricity system operator assess the economic impact of the scheduled nuclear shutdown.
The proposal also calls on the government to implement measures “to ensure that the Spanish nuclear industry can contribute to challenges and seize opportunities presented by the EU Net-Zero Industry Act”, which includes nuclear energy technologies. It should also move to repeal legislation that bans new permits for exploring, mining or processing radioactive minerals, including uranium in Spain and also prohibits new authorisations for nuclear fuel cycle facilities to manage these materials.
Source: World Nuclear News
