Every day, reviewing the news leaves readers, viewers and citizens feeling uncertain about the times we are living in. There are major and significant changes, enormous technical advances, the transformation of society, and changing geopolitical scenarios with uncertain outcomes. In many informal conversations, this personal feeling becomes a shared perspective, and the term ‘uncertainty’ is becoming increasingly prominent.
As nuclear professionals, we share this feeling and are part of a society that senses uncertain times. However, we also feel that we represent a solid, robust and reliable industrial sector and technology. In these times, nuclear power provides us with certainty in the form of stable, safe energy in a well-regulated environment. We may be considered biased or lacking in objectivity for stating this, but it must be clear that we know our daily work, our facilities, and our contribution to people, society, and the country better than anyone else.
Nuclear power plants in this country account for around 20% of the total energy generated in the Spanish electricity system every year, providing a continuous and reliable source of energy and lending robustness to the system. During this period of ecological transition, it is important to emphasise that we produce electricity without emitting greenhouse gases and that we represent a well-established economic sector, providing around 30,000 jobs, most of which are in remote areas where our impact is particularly noticeable.
We consider ourselves to be robust technology with a professional track record that has evolved to meet the highest quality standards. Thanks to the continuous learning that has taken place in our industry over the years, our power stations are now safer than when they were first commissioned. For these reasons, we define ourselves as a reliable, secure and trustworthy resource in these fluid and changing times. In short, our sector’s contribution offers certainty amid so much uncertainty.
We have always said that we would work responsibly until our very last day, but right now, being responsible also means stopping the discussion about closing nuclear power stations. As the Spanish proverb goes, ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’, and we are that bird. We are the bird that has contributed to the Spanish electricity system for over 50 years, and we can continue to do so for as long as we are allowed to.
We don’t know what surprises the coming months will bring in terms of world order or the impact this will have on the energy sector. What we do know is that our contribution today is certain. In the face of uncertainty, we have certainty.
