Nuclear energy generated 22.60% of electricity in Spain in 2019 and 37% of CO2-free _electricity

Nuclear energy generated 22.60 percent of the electricity generated in Spain during 2019 and contributed to the system 37 percent of the emission-free electricity as reported by the Spanish Nuclear Society within the framework of the conference ‘Nuclear power plants in 2019. Experiences and perspectives’.

Thus, according to the sector, nuclear led for the ninth consecutive year the energy free of _CO2 emissions, which in Spain accounts for 61.6 percent of the total, for the sum of nuclear and renewables. In this way, according to the data provided by Red Eléctrica de España, nuclear energy contributed to the contribution of stable electricity, by operating on a base basis.

This type of energy has an installed capacity of 6.55 percent of the total with which it covered 55.8 Twh of the 247 Twh demanded by Spain during 2019, a year that lower energy demand than the previous year.

In addition, according to these data presented this Wednesday at a press conference by the president of the Spanish Nuclear Society, Javier Guerra, it was the energy source that was operating the most hours of the year, with 89.5 percent of the hours of 2019, that is, 7,846 hours of operation.

Guerra has defended, in this context, the professionals of the SNE as well as the long-term continuity of the Spanish nuclear park and has again requested the demand of the sector to undertake an “objective and serene” evaluation of the role of “all” energy sources and their contribution to the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan.

Thus, he has insisted that his objectives will be “unattainable” if the energy source that “currently contributes the most to an emission-free generation of electricity” is dispensed with.

The conference ‘Nuclear power plants in 2019. Experiences and perspectives’ will bring together this Thursday more than 250 professionals in the sector and to analyze the future of this energy worldwide.

Guerra has defended the high capabilities, technology and experience of the industry along with the continuous training of professionals who together generate an “excellent” operation of the nuclear park “year after year”.

In fact, he has defended that the effort for the continuous improvement of the sector for more than 30 years has been recognized worldwide since Spanish nuclear power plants appear in the first positions of international references such as the indicators of the World Association of Nuclear Operator (WANO), in which the Almaraz I nuclear power plant was recognized in 2018 as the safest in Europe.

In this context, he has insisted that the operation of nuclear power plants beyond 40 years, up to 60 years –20 more than their initial design life–, would mean a production of 1,200,000 million KWH, that is, the consumption of all spain for 4 years; would prevent the emission into the atmosphere of more than 800 million tons of CO₂ and would reduce energy dependence on the outside world and make it possible to meet the commitments made in the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Currently, nuclear power generates 10.1 percent of the world’s electricity with an installed capacity of 390,497 Megawatts in a total of 446 nuclear power plants in operation. ATC URGES

On the other hand, it has called for the construction of the centralized temporary storage of nuclear waste and spent fuel by adopting a decision in which the general interest of society prevails.

For the SNE, the ATC would favour a joint management of spent fuel in nuclear power plants and eliminate the dependence on costs that we pay to third countries for the custody of radioactive waste. Likewise, it values that the ATC would allow to continue with the research and development of high activity waste management technologies and would be an “economic and employment engine” in the area where it is planned.

“The ATC must be available as soon as possible and be a single repository as it is an installation that is and will continue to be necessary,” Guerra said.

Source: The Vanguard