Spain’s Nuclear Industry Criticises ‘Irresponsible’ Garona Decision
Written by NucNet
Thursday, 02 July 2009
The announcement that the operating licence of the Santa Maria de Garona nuclear power plant in Spain will be renewed only up to 2013 is “a political decision lacking any technical, safety or economic basis whatsoever”, the Spanish nuclear industry has said.
In a statement released after the announcement was made at 18:00 local time in Spain today, industry group Foro Nuclear said the consequences of this “irresponsible decision” will directly and negatively affect Spain’s electrical production, the environment, the economy, and the competitiveness of the industry.
Early last month Spain’s Nuclear Security Council (Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, CSN) recommended to the government that the 446-megawatt boiling water reactor unit should operate 10 years beyond its original 40-year lifespan until 2021.
Foro Nuclear said the government’s decision was based solely on ideological criteria and ignores the recommendations of the CSN. It fails to take into account the energy needs of the country and is “a serious mistake”.
“The nuclear industry trusts that this will be an isolated, one-off event and that it can be corrected in the future, Foro Nuclear said.
The group’s president, Maria Teresa Dominguez, said there is no reason whatsoever for Spain to come to different conclusions from the rest of the world on the need for nuclear energy.
She said the nuclear industry will continue working to ensure that the strategic value of this type of energy maintains a key position in the energy mix.
Construction started on the Garona plant in 1966 and it began commercial operation in 1971.
Spain has eight nuclear units in commercial operation. The country’s oldest nuclear unit, the 142-megawatt Jose Cabrera-1, was permanently shut down in 2006 in line with a decision made by CSN in 2002.
