The Spanish government has confirmed its intention to shut down the country's nuclear power plants by 2035. The announcement comes just over a month after the inauguration of Pedro Sánchez's new government, after the debate over the future of nuclear power plants was one of the most heated battlegrounds of the last election campaign. The People's Party, which sits on the opposition benches, had promised to reverse the socialist prime minister's plan to finally say goodbye to nuclear energy. Recently, one of Spain's largest lobbyists also appealed to the government to demand an extension of the use of the power plants in operation. Sánchez's plan calls for the closure of the power plants to begin in 2027, with an estimated cost of around 20 billion euros and a fund borne by the operators of the nuclear power plants themselves. In fact, the entire operation is financed by the tariffs that electricity companies pay for the treatment of radioactive waste.
In addition to confirming the plan to close nuclear power plants, the Spanish government has also changed some rules for renewable energy projects. In particular, Sánchez's government extended the administrative deadlines and increased the period for issuing authorization for the construction of new facilities from 42 to 49 months. In 2021, Spain produced around a fifth (20.6%) of its electricity from the five nuclear power plants still in operation. The systems were put into operation between 1983 and 1988 and were designed to last around 40 years. The first power plant to close its doors will be Almaraz in autumn 2027, followed by Ascò (2030), Cofrentes (2030), Vandellós (2034) and Trillo (2035). The Spanish government's energy strategy calls for getting rid of fossil fuels and relying exclusively on renewable energies.
Cover photo: EPA/Pepe Zamora | Dismantling work at the Jose Cabrera nuclear power plant near Guadalajara (October 31, 2019)
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