Spain ready to abandon nuclear energy

Spain's Secretary of State for Energy said Thursday that the country is ready to abandon nuclear power, with a "very ambitious" renewable energy plan, a solution he considers "more competitive" and safe.

Joan Groizard assured, however, that the idea is not to eliminate “the contribution of nuclear energy to the electricity matrix all at once.”

There is a gradual closure schedule between 2027 and 2035, Groizard explained in a podcast, in which he insisted that there is "no negotiation or open dialogue" with companies to extend the lifespan of these plants.

The closure plan was signed in 2019, within the framework of the Spanish National Energy and Climate Plan, by the four companies that own the facilities, Iberdrola, Endesa, Naturgy and the Portuguese company EDP, and this is the scenario that remains on the table, he stressed.

“Today, they tell us that [nuclear energy] is not competitive, which is why they didn't ask for an extension,” Groizard said.

The official indicated that companies want a tax reduction: "And that we all pay part of the costs of dismantling and waste management."

The government responded that it will not pass the costs on to the general public , Groizard continued, stressing that the taxes currently imposed by the state on nuclear power plants “are exactly the same as in 2019,” meaning the fiscal framework has remained unchanged.

At the end of last month, the Spanish government said it was willing, under conditions, to review the closure schedule for nuclear power plants, including Almaraz, near the border with Portugal, at the request of Spain's main electricity groups.

In a letter addressed to the chairmen of the boards of directors of Iberdrola and Endesa, seen by the Spanish newspaper El Pais , Spain's Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, stated that she is willing to reopen the debate on the planned closure date for several of the country's power plants, decided in 2019.

In June, Iberdrola and Endesa had proposed, in a letter addressed to the minister, a review of the closure schedule for nuclear power plants, particularly Almaraz, which was due to close in 2028.

The calendar was criticized by nuclear advocates, which intensified following the Iberian blackout of April 28, calling for a revision of the calendar due to an alleged risk to the country's electricity supply.

In a message on the Bluesky social network, Labor Minister Iolanda Diaz, from the radical left-wing Sumar party, who is part of the coalition government led by socialist Pedro Sánchez, reiterated her opposition to any revision of the calendar.

" Extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants goes against the government's ecological transition plan and the implementation of renewables . Spain closed this debate years ago, and the closure deadlines are very clear. We will not allow it," he warned.

At the height of nuclear energy use in the 1980s, Spain had eight nuclear power plants, which supplied 38% of the country's electricity. Today, it has only five, with seven nuclear reactors, which account for 20% of the country's electricity.