Losing Almaraz would be a loss for both the region and Europe. Let’s not harm our competitiveness and energy security when they are needed most.
These are difficult times for Europe. They are times that compel us to focus on policies that guarantee our autonomy and sovereignty. The plan to finance European rearmament announced recently by the European Commission shows the even greater need for a united, sovereign and autonomous Europe. And energy is an absolutely essential piece of this puzzle. The EU needs more energy independence, a reality we have known for a long time but that has been manifesting itself in stark relief since 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and even more so in recent weeks.
This geopolitical premise, immovable in the current situation, is also seen in every region of the EU. I’m writing from a small area in the north of Extremadura, Campo Arañuelo, almost halfway between Madrid and Lisbon. The Almaraz nuclear power plant is located here. Almaraz has two reactors that supply 7 percent of all the energy produced in Spain. In addition to being the mayor of one of the villages in the area, I direct a platform, ‘Sí a Almaraz, Sí al futuro’, created less than three months ago to work toward extending the useful life of the Almaraz nuclear power plant, which provides about 3,000 jobs, both direct and indirect. We have no time to lose. According to a 2020 order from the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition, led then by Teresa Ribera, Almaraz will have to close its doors permanently in 2028, and the first steps toward its dismantling would begin this year. Almaraz would be the first power plant to fall on a schedule to close all Spanish nuclear power plants, ending in 2035.
Sí a Almaraz, Sí al futuro is succeeding in mobilizing more and more people and organizations, both in Extremadura and in Spain. Our region, Extremadura, historically pushed aside when it comes to the interests of other richer or more populated Spanish regions, is no longer willing to let itself be sacrificed for the interests of others. We no longer believe in grand plans that never come true. And it’s very clear to us that if Almaraz is closed, the process of depopulation and aging in Extremadura will just be exacerbated. It is estimated that 30% of the population in Extremadura will be over 65 years of age by 2037 compared with 21% today, with a fall in the total population of around 5%.
But this struggle is not only ours. We are not only defending our jobs. That Almaraz continues is as necessary for all of Spain as it is for Europe. This is why next week a delegation from the platform, made up of mayors and representatives from civil society, will work in Brussels with representatives of the Europeans Commission and Parliament to help them understand the depth of what is at stake.
To be competitive and independent, Europe needs a mature energy production system. This must have reasonable taxation, decreasing costs, be cheap, stable, meet safety standards and respect the environment, not emitting CO2. In the current geopolitical situation, and with the current technological development of solutions to store renewable energies, this European energy mix must include nuclear energy no matter what. Of course, the platform is a strong supporter of renewable energies, in which Spain and Extremadura are very well positioned, and believes that both production sources are not only compatible but are also mutually complementary. But with current technological development, it simply isn’t responsible to defend replacing the solid power of nuclear with the intermittent power of renewables.
It is also a question of economic competitiveness. As both the Letta and Draghi reports repeatedly warn, without a stable energy supply at a competitive price, European industries – including the defense industries – will not be able to survive in a hostile foreign market, against competitors sometimes ‘doped up’ by their governments or regimes. We have been promised new industries that would replace the Almaraz power plant as a driving economic force in the region. But it’s very clear to us that no new industry is willing to invest in an area without the assurance of a stable energy supply. And Extremadura needs investments. Our GDP per capita is less than 75 percent of the EU average, so we are recipients of ERDF funds and the European Social Fund Plus, whose objectives are to reduce regional inequalities. With this data, closing Almaraz would deepen our discrimination.
For all these reasons, we will not rest until the decision the Spanish government formalized between 2019 and 2020 is reversed, as now is a very different context. Europe needs to know what is happening, and there are many things that the Spanish government must reflect on. Why are the overwhelming majority of countries backing nuclear energy? France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, Belgium. The Belgian case, with authorization from the European Commission for state aid, is symptomatic, as it shows that nuclear policy in EU countries is not merely a national issue but is subject to approval from and supervision by Brussels, which reinforces the union’s role in energy planning.
In Spain, Almaraz’s proprietors are not asking for any type of aid or subsidy, but rather a reduction in the tax burden they have to bear, which is much higher than in other comparable countries. And the facility, which began operating in 1981, is more than ready to work, at least, until the age of 60. This has been corroborated by recent technical inspections and its excellent rating in tests by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO).
It is therefore time, once and for all, for the Spanish government to sit down to negotiate with the proprietary companies and agree on a continuance that, ensuring the economic profitability of the plants, will turn around a closure plan that was designed in a very different scenario. We have to understand that the situation has change and react accordingly. We won’t let the Almaraz power plant close. Let’s not mutilate, all on our own, our energy sovereignty.