The auxiliary industry of the electrical sector asks to renegotiate the nuclear closure schedule

The Auxiliary Industry of the Electric Sector has requested to renegotiate the nuclear closure schedule and to review the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) to guarantee the continuity of this type of energy, which in its opinion should be recognized as “reliable, efficient and competitive” and “receive fair treatment” to encourage investment in it.

In a manifesto signed by Empresarios Agrupados Internacional, Framatome Spain, GD Energy Services, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, IDOM and Westinghouse Electric Spain, the signatories highlight that Spanish power plants “are modernised and in a condition to operate for many more years” and have emphasised how they, as auxiliary companies in the electrical sector, confirm that these buildings “are among the best in the world in terms of technology, safety and efficiency”.

They also point out that the nuclear shutdown was adopted “in a geopolitical, social and economic context that is completely different from the current one.” They stress that Spain cannot allow its productive fabric to be subjected to a loss of competitiveness by taking the decision to close the plants “without first ensuring a viable alternative with all sources of energy that do not emit carbon dioxide (CO2).

The signatories therefore argue that extending the operational life of the power plants would ensure the sustainability of the Spanish energy system, without putting at risk the security of supply or the expansion of renewable infrastructures. It would also contribute to increasing Spain's geostrategic independence from other countries.

More generally, they demand that Spain apply an energy policy based on technical and economic criteria, “aligned with international practices that value nuclear energy as essential for the ecological transition.” In this sense, they ask to observe the evolution of these policies in other countries, for example, the way in which German industry has gone from being a world industrial leader to losing competitiveness and depending on energy sources that emit CO2.

The president and CEO of GDES and former president of the Spanish Nuclear Society, Héctor Dominguis, has highlighted that the sector has drawn up this manifesto to convey its concern about the possible closure of nuclear power in Spain "in terms of supply guarantee, industrial competitiveness and environmental sustainability."

He believes that "if the closure is finally carried out" it would mean closing down an industry that is "at the forefront" of the nuclear sector worldwide. He also believes that it would mean losing the professional talent that Spain has, and therefore the possibility of participating in the technological developments that are currently taking place in the sector.

He stressed that today's power plants "are more efficient, more reliable and safer than the day they started operating" since companies invest more than 30 million euros per reactor each year. He also recalled that nuclear power plants have prevented "blackouts" in Spain during extreme weather events such as Filomena or La Dana and that they are necessary to attract data centres and other industries that are trying to be attracted to the country.

In response to questions from journalists, who have inquired whether the owner companies are going to make any formal request to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) to renegotiate the nuclear closure, the CEO of EAG (Empresarios Agrupados-GHESA), Javier Perea, has highlighted that some owner companies have expressed themselves in this sense and that, in any case, the role of the Auxiliary Industry of the Electrical Sector is not to "enter into political discussions."

For this reason, he has stated that "adjusting" the nuclear shutdown has "benefits" at the country level - a more stable and economical electrical system and a more competitive economy, "issues that far exceed any interest in maintaining positions or justifying whether or not this extension is requested in one way or another." "I believe that the framework for dialogue is clear and it is in the country's interest," he stressed.

The event was also attended by the President and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Spain, Xavier Coll; the Director of Framatome Spain, José Luis Pérez; and the Commercial Director for Europe of GE Vernova, Rafael Ledesma.