Nuclear Power In Spain

Nuclear Power In Spain

Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to generate heat, which most frequently is then used in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear power station. Understanding of this technology is going through a step change and the next generation of fission power reactors has the potential to fulfill global energy requirements for at least 1,000 years. Since nuclear technology was discovered there have been many possible applications for it in different fields like agriculture, medicine, space exploration, etc. There are a lot of advantages in nuclear technology but this doesn’t mean that its use cannot have consequences such as: radioactive waste, non-renewable, nuclear radiation, nuclear accidents, development of weapons, which may have a major impact on human life.

Spain has seven nuclear reactors generating a fifth of its electricity. In February 2011 parliament removed a legal provision limiting nuclear plant operating lives to 40 years. The conservative government elected in November 2011 removed the 1984 moratorium, and early in 2012 an industry report recommended in principle 20-year life extensions. In 2011 the responsible minister said that nuclear plants are "essential for the supply of electricity in Spain" and that almost all nuclear power units "will be open, operating and even repowering" until 2021. Also he said that "nuclear energy will be useful as a source of electricity for cars," which the government was promoting, hoping to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2014. However, that government remained opposed to new nuclear plant construction. The Socialist government's anti-nuclear policy was never translated in to legislation. In 2011 the responsible minister said that nuclear plants are "essential for the supply of electricity in Spain" and that almost all nuclear power units "will be open, operating and even repowering" until 2021. Also he said that "nuclear energy will be useful as a source of electricity for cars," which the government was promoting, hoping to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2014. However, that government remained opposed to new nuclear plant construction. The Socialist government's anti-nuclear policy was never translated in to legislation. In February 2014 cabinet approved a royal decree that allows recently-shutdown plants to apply within 12 months for their operating licences to be renewed, if the shutdown was not for safety reasons.

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