European energy-climate policies and nuclear powerEpisode 8 – Spain : at the crossroads

Perched on the southwestern edge of Europe, Spain has played a relevant role in European history for several centuries. Today, it finds itself, together with the world’s industrial nations, in the need to decarbonize large sectors of its economy in order to prevent the most severe consequences of climate change, and to do it while guaranteeing continued prosperity for its citizens. Nuclear power, with its minimal land and material requirements, its abundant and reliable production, and its tiny amount of waste produced (none of which of greenhouse effect), presents itself as a key tool to achieve this goal. At present, it contributes to over a fifth of Spain’s total electricity consumption. However, there are currently plans to close all of our nuclear power generation by the year 2035. Spain, then, faces a crucial decision that will influence its future, and Europe’s, for years to come. 

The history

José Cabrera Nuclear Power Plant (source: RTVE) 

The reader may be surprised to learn that Spain built and operated one of the very first nuclear power plants in Europe. Indeed, the José Cabrera Nuclear Power Station entered commercial operation just 15 years after the world’s first nuclear power plant, in 1969.

This impulse continued into the 1970s, with an ambitious nuclear buildout along the lines of France’s Messmer Plan. Over a dozen new reactors were being planned by the end of the decade (when Spain’s population was about 36 million), and a robust nuclear technology industry was being developed domestically, including nuclear fuel manufacturing.
             

Share of primary energy from nuclear power, by country 

However, by that point the nuclear industry was running into the same political headwinds that it faced in several other countries. The fear of nuclear weapons and accidents like the one at Three Mile Island were feeding the nascent anti-nuclear movement. In this context, the Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español, PSOE) ran in the 1982 general election, only the second one since the end of the military dictatorship, with a moratorium on new nuclear builds in their program, and won by a landslide.

Less than two years later the moratorium was in place, and no new power plants would start construction. 1989 was the last year a new nuclear station started operating, and the year where we achieved the highest percentage of nuclear electricity generation, at 38%.

The decision 

The clock is running: the first power plant to be shut down will be Almaraz in 2027 

While the governing Socialist Party has just submitted the new draft PNIEC to the EU for approval next year, the conservative opposition Popular Party (PP) has made the retention of nuclear power a cornerstone of its campaign [11], highlighting the danger of removing 21% of Spain’s electricity production in such a short space of time and without a clear alternative. 

Indeed, if the current phaseout calendar is to be overturned, the clock is ticking: the first power station to be shut down under the current plan would be the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant, in 2027; if that is to be avoided, administrative processes like license renewals and securing of fuel need to begin as early as next year [12]. Therefore, the next months will be crucial to decide one way or another. Our organization, Econucleares, will continue to bring the importance of this issue and the need for nuclear power to the Spanish public. 

Over the past two years, many countries have withdrawn their plans to phase out nuclear power. 

The next few months will therefore be crucial in deciding one way or the other. Our organization, Econucleares, will continue to make the Spanish public aware of the importance of this issue and the need for nuclear energy.

Spain finds itself, then, at a crossroads. We must decide whether to go down the road of states like Germany, denying ourselves the abundant, clean energy provided by nuclear power; or to correct course and maintain, and in time expand, our nuclear generation capacity. 
In the last two years, many nations have reversed plans for nuclear phaseouts as the realities of energy security and reliability have once again come to the forefront. For Spain to join them would be a clear signal to Europe and to the world of the need for nuclear power in the 21^st century.