In this magazine, we have consistently advocated for the continued use of nuclear energy in our country’s electricity generation, and we will continue to do so. We currently has seven operating nuclear reactors, which contributed 19.7% of the net electricity produced to the Spanish electricity system in 2025 (bearing in mind that nuclear power accounts for 5.0% of the total installed capacity in the SEP). This is a significant amount that cannot easily be replaced at present. In terms of quality, this type of synchronous generation provides stability to the grid, and nuclear power contributes to controlling greenhouse gas emissions.
In fact, nuclear energy is a well-established reality in Spain. It is a resource that we have had for more than 50 years, and technically, it can remain an option for the future. The closure dates of our current nuclear power plants are not a technical necessity based on the state of the facilities but is a political decision.
Technically, we have more than enough evidence to demonstrate the capabilities of the Spanish nuclear industry and our country’s nuclear power plants. We must ensure that they are recognized and protected as a long-term resource. We have been saying this, and we will continue to do so, in order to reach as many people as possible. We recognize the need for, and importance of, a social license to operate, and we believe that having the knowledge and information to defend this license is essential. We work towards this goal by responding to requests from different forums to make this knowledge and information available to society, and through our channels. We talk about our day-to-day work in a field that we, as professionals, can explain, describe, and answer questions about.
We always talk about ourselves when we do so. When it comes to defending the continued operation of nuclear power plants in Spain, we provide our data, base our arguments on our information, and ground our reasoning in the nuclear sector.
We never attack other technologies in our defense. We take a holistic approach and do not subscribe to the idea that the best form of defense is the attack. We believe that our identity and contributions are sufficient for nuclear energy to be considered as a viable option for the future, rather than being dismissed on a whim. If only all points of view were defended in the same way!
While all points of view are valid and all information is useful, please let’s stop attacking each other. That is not the model.
