The extension of Almaraz will postpone the closure of Asco and Cofrentes for technical and security reasons

This was the past October 30 And since then Ministry of Environmental Transformation He has Two monthsin accordance with the regulations, to respond to them Iberdrola, Endesa and Naturgia After its approval by the Board of Directors and the Association of Partners of Centrales Nucleares Almaraz-Trillo.

For now, the only thing that was said on Thursday, November 13 is that “MITECO will act in a responsible manner and will comply with all requirements that have been established, and will request a report from CSN (Council on Nuclear Safety) on nuclear safety aspects,” which means that He hasn’t done that yet.

It did so precisely on the day the amendment to the Paris Protocol fell, which sought to extend the life of nuclear power plants, not only at Almaraz (the two reactors), but also at Asco (Tarragona) and Cofrentes (Valencia).

“The amendment is logical, if an extension is granted to MERZ until 2030, it will lead to a delay Close Asco and Cofrentis by For technical reasons, energy supply security, economic and administrative reasons Of waste“Sources from the electricity sector tell EL ESPAÑOL-Invertia.

Closing process

Not all nuclear power plants can be shut down at once. A simultaneous shutdown will have serious consequences for energy stability and security, as well as serious social and economic impacts.

The closure and dismantling of each nuclear power plant requires a A large number of specialized employees and technical resources.

If the closure is widespread or simultaneous, there will not be sufficient professional or logistical capacity to manage dismantling and waste from several plants at the same time, which may generate Bottlenecks and security problems.

Moreover, closing all plants at the same time would lead to a sharp rise in the infection rate The amount of waste That must be managed, and currently there is not enough Infrastructure (such as central temporary warehouses) Therefore, nor the procedures adopted for mass closures.

The electrical network needs operation Adaptation To integrate other renewable energy sources, otherwise they will lose the ability to do so Firmness and stability Provided by nuclear production.

The same sources explained, “This was one of the reasons behind the agreement in 2019 on the gradual closure of the Spanish nuclear station, as almost all of them reach 40 years of operation in a short period of time, and four stations should not be assembled in only three years.”

Free way to CSN

“Now all that is missing is the positive report from CSN, which should have no problem doing so, and for the government to cancel the 2019 ministerial order that ordered the closure of the Almaraz I reactor in November 2027 and the second reactor in November 2028.”

CSN issues mandatory and binding technical reports on the safety and continuity of extended operation of any nuclear power plant. for periods not exceeding ten years, According to Spanish regulatory practices and regulations, although ministerial orders may, by political decision, shorten the final exploitation period, as is the case.

However, as stated on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s website, the safety and technical standards are reviewed every ten years under a legal mandate, so the plant will not need to adapt to new obligations, and continuity for three years will be relatively simple.

“In short, CSN itself does not allow an extension, but its technical report is mandatory and essential for the government to be able to take any decision in this regard.”

Support from PSOE Extremaduran

Especially now, with our eyes set on electoral progress in Extremadura, the future of Almaraz is gaining greater importance in the political parties’ programmes.

Even the socialists in Extremadura support the continuation of the nuclear power plant. In a message on the social network