On Wednesday, Spain officially affirmed its intention to shut down the country’s nuclear plants by 2035 and announced a set of energy measures that also involve revised deadlines for renewable projects and adjusted renewable auctions.
The process of decommissioning the plants, scheduled to commence in 2027, and managing radioactive waste is estimated to incur a cost of approximately 20.2 billion euros ($22.4 billion).
The funding for these activities will be facilitated through a fund contributed to by the operators of the nuclear plants, as announced by the government.
The fate of Spain’s nuclear plants, responsible for generating roughly one-fifth of the country’s electricity, emerged as a prominent topic during the recent electoral campaign.
The conservative opposition People’s Party (PP) vowed to overturn the proposed phase-out, adding complexity to the debate.
Notably, a major business lobby has also advocated for prolonging the operation of these nuclear plants.
Additionally, the introduced measures include modifications to the regulations governing the development of new green energy projects and adjustments to the procedures for renewables auctions.
The government has approved the extension of critical administrative deadlines for upcoming projects.
For instance, the timeline for acquiring a building permit has been extended by six months, now totaling 49 months.
In a statement, the Energy Ministry outlined that renewable auctions are now permitted to incorporate qualitative criteria. These criteria will consider social and environmental standards, aiming to “recognise the added value of European products.”
