The Ascó plant
ForoNuclear President Ignacio Araluce stated: “The seven operating reactors continued to guarantee supply and energy independence, as they produce baseload power constantly and reliably. These aspects are essential in the current geopolitical context, in which Europe is striving to achieve energy sovereignty.” He emphasized that the plants maintained high safety and quality standards, supported by significant investments to ensure long-term operation.
On April 28, a blackout affected Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and parts of southern France due to two consecutive generation losses in southwestern Spain, leading to a cascading grid failure. Four reactors—Almaraz II, Ascó I and II, and Vandellós II—were operational before the incident, while Trillo was in a scheduled outage, and Almaraz I and Cofrentes were offline at the request of Red Eléctrica due to high renewable energy contributions. The operating reactors shut down automatically during the blackout, with safety systems ensuring stability. ForoNuclear noted: “The nuclear power plants acted according to their design and always remained stable and safe.” The reactors have since resumed production after safety checks, as directed by the grid operator.
The blackout highlighted nuclear power’s role in providing grid stability through the inertia of its large turbines and generators, which help maintain voltage and frequency. Renewable sources, comprising 66% of installed capacity, generated 56.8% of Spain’s electricity in 2024, with wind at 23.2%, solar at 18.6%, hydro at 13.3%, and other renewables at 1.7%, a 10.3% increase from 2023.
Araluce commented: “It does not seem logical to cling to a nuclear phase-out plan established 2019 without opening our eyes to reality, especially as the current energy, environmental, and geopolitical context is radically different from what it was then. The most reasonable course of action would be to revise the closure schedule, considering the crucial role nuclear power plants play in ensuring supply, avoiding CO2 emissions, and helping to contain electricity prices.” He noted that nuclear power helps keep electricity costs lower, with studies suggesting prices would be 23% higher for households and 35% higher for industries without it.
World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León said: “The economic future of Spain depends on having access to abundant, affordable, 24/365, clean and definitely stable electricity. Thus, maintaining the current nuclear fleet is essential for the economic future of Spain.” The industry continues to advocate for policies supporting nuclear energy’s role in Spain’s energy mix.
