Manifesto of the nuclear workers against the closure of the plants: "Spain is being left alone"

The professionals in the nuclear sector that make up the

(SNE) have published a manifesto in defense of the plants and in favor of a source that they consider essential for Spain's energy sovereignty.

The country, they say, is wrong with its plan to close the seven reactors in the country, which will begin in 2027, but which, they warn, will not be reversed after

.

"We are left alone in our strategy to close the nuclear park," declared the president of the SNE,

, during the presentation of the manifesto.

Currently, he pointed out, "there are 11 countries in Europe, led by France, who want to promote nuclear energy."

Meanwhile, Spain proposes a closure that in its first phase includes the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) and that will mean the dismantling of four reactors between 2027 and 2030.

The PNIEC, he recalled, Dominguis was approved in 2021, but it was drafted in 2019 in which the world energy context was very different from the current one.

At this time, in the absence of storage solutions, the most constant source of electricity generation in the Spanish mix is ​​nuclear, which

(7.1GW).

It already works practically 90% of the time and at almost 100% of its capacity -it must carry out technical shutdowns- so if the intermittent sources fail or there are demand peaks, the combined cycle plants must enter -that is, gas- to the rescue'.

In Dominguis's opinion, the Plan "establishes very ambitious and much-needed growth targets for renewables, but which, unfortunately,

."

The 26 GW of gas that Spain has fulfill this function and represent the second technology by power, behind wind power (close to 30 GW) and with photovoltaics lurking (19.9 GW).

PNIEC forecasts a 17% increase in hydrocarbon production to offset the nuclear contribution, but between 2021 and 2022, a year characterized by these tensions in the system, heat wave, lack of wind and increased demand from France, has been 61%.

At the moment, there are no conversations for the situation to change with the update of the PNIEC that Spain must do before the summer.

Sources from the Ministry for Ecological Transition detail that "the protocol with the closure calendar continues as it is;

."

On the other hand, Foro Nuclear confirms that there have been no contacts with the Government.

Meanwhile, Endesa has already shown itself in favor of extending the life of nuclear plants.

According to the SNE, they could continue operating between 20 and 40 more years, but a decision must be made now.

"If after 2024 a firm decision has not been made on the continuity of the Spanish nuclear power plants, there will be no turning back and the closure of the first plant that is in the plan, Almaraz I, will be inevitable," Dominguis explained.

This is due, in addition to the need for a regulatory framework and guarantees for the operation, to the fact that the fuel supply is carried out three years in advance.

Almaraz, illustrated the president of SNE, annually generates "

".

In Dominguis's opinion, the Plan "establishes very ambitious and much-needed growth targets for renewables, but which, unfortunately, are not being accompanied by the necessary growth in storage and interconnections."

"We demand the need for nuclear energy to be considered a strategic energy source for Spain and we request that the necessary conditions be created for the continuity of nuclear power plants for at least 20 years," added Dominguis.

"The decisions that are made in Spain during the next 24 months will be suffered or enjoyed by the Spanish people for the next decades."

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