|
|
|
Spain
|
|
Number of nuclear units connected to the grid |
Nuclear electricity generation (net TWh) |
Nuclear percentage
of total electricity supply |
|
| Spain |
8 |
57.8 |
19.8 |
| OECD Europe |
150 |
929.3 |
27.3 |
|
OECD TOTAL |
346 (out of 437 worldwide) |
2278.1 |
23.1 |
Table 1 shows the status of the Spanish nuclear power plants, including their suppliers and operators, the electric power capacity, the type of reactor and the year of connection to the grid. Figure 1 shows the location of each plant.
The Vandellós I nuclear power plant has been shut down since 1990, in January 1998 the Ministry of Industry and Energy authorised the activities for plant dismantling. The activities authorised consisted of dismantling to Level 2, which will allow more than 80% of the site to be released. After a waiting period, estimated at some 30 years, Level 3 dismantling works will be initiated, that will leave the site completely free for subsequent unrestricted use. In the middle of 2003 authorised dismantling activities ended.
Table 1. Status of Nuclear Power Plants
| Station | Type | Gross Capacity | Operator | Status | Reactor Supplier | Construction Date | Criticality Date | Grid Date | Commercial Date | Shut down Date |
| ALMARAZ-1 | PWR | 973.5 | CNA | Operational | WEST | 02-Jul-73 | 05-Apr-81 | 01-May-81 | 01-Sep-83 | |
| ALMARAZ-2 | PWR | 982.6 | CNA | Operational | WEST | 02-Jul-73 | 19-Sept-83 | 08-Oct-83 | 01-Jul-84 | |
| ASCO-1 | PWR | 1028 | ANA | Operational | WEST | 16-May-74 | 16-Jun-83 | 13-Aug-83 | 10-Dec-84 | |
| ASCO-2 | PWR | 1015 | ANA | Operational | WEST | 07-Mar-75 | 11-Sept-85 | 23-Oct-85 | 31-Mar-86 | |
| COFRENTES | BWR | 1025 | ID | Operational | GE | 09-Sept-75 | 23-Aug-84 | 14-Oct-84 | 11-Mar-85 | |
| JOSE CABRERA (ZORITA) | PWR | 160 | UF | Shut down | WEST | 24-Jun-64 | 30-Jun-68 | 14-Jul-68 | 13-Aug-69 | 31-Apr-2006 |
| SANTA MARIA DE GARONA | BWR | 466 | NUCLENOR | Operational | GE | 02-May-66 | 05-Nov-70 | 02-Mar-71 | 11-May-71 | |
| TRILLO-1 | PWR | 1066 | CNT | Operational | KWU | 17-Sept-79 | 14-May-88 | 23-May-88 | 06-Aug-88 | |
| VANDELLOS-2 | PWR | 1087 | ANV | Operational | WEST | 29-Dec-80 | 14-Nov-87 | 12-Dec-87 | 08-Mar-88 | |
| VANDELLOS-1 | PWR | 508 | HIFRENSA | Shut down | CEA | 21-Jun-68 | 11-Feb-72 | 06-May-72 | 01-Aug-72 | 31-Jul-1990 |
Figure 1. Location of Spanish nuclear power plants
Plant upgrading and plant life management
In October 2002 the José Cabrera nuclear power plant was granted a renewed operation authorisation until 30 April 2006, at which time operation of the plant ceased definitively. The decrease of capacity due to the definitive shut-down of the José Cabrera nuclear power plant is foreseen to be balanced by: increasing the capacity of other nuclear power plants; optimising the thermal performance of equipment; and/or increasing the thermal energy produced by fuel. Taking into account these premises, the nuclear power capacity will be maintained in the period 2002-2011.
In the middle of 2003, the authorised dismantling activities of the Vandellós I nuclear power plant ended. The authorisation for this project was granted in 1998. When the Spanish authorities ended the authorisation of these works, the Level 2 decommissioning phase had been reached, allowing more than 80% of the site to be released. After a waiting period of an estimated 25-30 years, Level 3 decommissioning works can proceed, to complete the total dismantling of the remaining parts of the plant.
Figure 2 illustrates the licensing process for nuclear installations.
Figure 2. Licensing of nuclear installations 
Architect/engineers
The Spanish engineering companies which play the main role in the national nuclear sector are: Empresarios Agrupados; Initec'; Inypsa and Sener. These companies have collaborated solely or in consortium in launching the first generation nuclear power plants and in successive projects, increasing progressively Spain's installed nuclear capacity. The first nuclear power plants were undertaken as turnkey projects and only the below mentioned areas were produced by local engineering companies. The scope of each project has been different, with local engineering companies focusing on different activities such as design, licensing, procurement operations and collaboration in start-up and tests. Currently, as there are no nuclear power plants under construction, these architect/engineering companies have concentrated on operational support, shutdown, and decommissioning of nuclear power plants, as well as research and development, and radioactive waste engineering activities.
Nuclear Steam Supply System Manufacturers
The main Spanish Nuclear Steam Supply System (NSSS) manufacturer is Equipos Nucleares, S.A. (ENSA), which designs, produces and inspects nuclear power plants primary circuit equipment and components. Its manufacturing plant is located in Maliaño (Cantabria). This company is state owned through the Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI), which controls 100% of its shares. ENSA is also constructing double purpose casks (called ENSA-DPT), to store and/or transport up to 21 PWR KWU spent fuel assemblies.
ENSA has provided primary circuit equipment, such as steam generators and reactor vessels, and components of the second and third generation Spanish nuclear power plants, as well as exporting to several countries, namely: Germany, Argentina, the United Kingdom, India, the United States of America and Belgium amoung others. Mecánica de la Peña is another nuclear equipment manufacturer.
Other Main Component Suppliers
The last nuclear power plants built in Spain encompassed a large range of domestically made equipment and components. The following list of national manufacturers includes only the main companies:
Owners/operators
Table 1 included in Nuclear power plants: Status and operations section, shows the ownership of each Spanish nuclear power plant.
Operation service suppliers
There are several companies who offer operational services to the Spanish nuclear sector, namely: Tacnatom; TECNOS; LAINSA; ENWESA; and Nusim. Tecnatom provides training services to operational personnel of nuclear power plants. It has PWR and BWR simulators. Tecnatom has also carried out several in service inspection and maintenance activities giving support to Spanish nuclear power plants. TECNOS, LAINSA, ENWESA and Nusim focus on maintenance and operational support to nuclear power plants, quality assurance, radiological protection and other various activities.
The former Empresa Nacional del Uranio, S.A. (now ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas, S.A.),is a state owned company that carries out activities related to the front-end fuel cycle. Its main activities are:
These duties can be carried out by ENUSA itself or by a subcontracted company. ENUSA operates a milling plant (Quercus Plant) located in Saelices el Chico (Salamanca) and also a nuclear fuel manufacturing plant located in Juzbado (Salamanca).
Due to the low uranium market price, ENUSA's mining activities in Saelices el Chico (Salamanca) stopped at the end of 2000. The uranium concentrates for ENUSA come from COMINAK and from several foreign companies. COMINAK is a company from Niger, owned by several foreign companies including ENUSA, which holds 10% of its shares. There are no uranium conversion and enrichment plants in Spain. ENUSA owns 11% of Eurodif, a European consortium with enrichment factories in France. ENUSA has signed several contracts with companies abroad for uranium conversion and enrichment activities.
The Juzbado plant produces fuel elements for most of the PWRs and BWRs in Spain and for some reactors in: Sweden; Germany; France; Finland; and Belgium.
Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos, S.A. (ENRESA), is a state owned company that was set up in 1984 and is responsible for radioactive waste management activities and the dismantling of nuclear installations. Its duties are as follows:
ENRESA draws up a proposal of a General Plan for Radioactive Waste, as established in the Royal Decree by which the company was constituted, and submits it to the Ministry of Industry and Energy for approval by the Government. On 31 July 1999, the Spanish Government approved the 5th General Plan for Radioactive Waste.
The basic hypotheses of this plan, for the purpose of drawing up and performing corresponding economic calculations, are:
With respect to the wastes to be managed, some 193 500 m3 of low-and intermediate-level, and 15 000 m3 of irradiated fuel and other kinds of high-level radioactive wastes are to be considered. The strategy settled upon for the fuel has three phases:
ENRESA has a medium-and low-level radioactive waste storage installation located in El Cabril, Córdoba. ENRESA's current main tasks, are as follows:
In the front-end nuclear fuel cycle, the production activities of the Quercus Plant were definitively finalised at the end of 2002. From the end of 2000, when uranium mining activities at the same site were stopped, the Quercus Plant worked for a very short time treating mine water.
At the Trillo nuclear power plant in 2002, a temporary dry storage facility was started-up, which houses the plant's spent fuel in dual-purpose (transport and temporary storage) metallic casks.
For additional information on the Spanish radioactive waste management programme please see the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's Radioactive Waste Management Programmes in OECD/NEA Member Countries.
The Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT) is an institution under on the Ministry of Science and Technology. One of its duties is nuclear research. It collaborates with several institutions in Spain and abroad.
In the ENRESA's 1999-2003 research and development programme, there were five main lines of work that dealt with: basic technologies; partitioning and transmutation; artificial and natural confinement of spent fuel; performance assessment; and facilities support.
Agrupación Eléctrica para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Nuclear (DTN) carries out and operates research and development projects associated with nuclear power plants, both in Spain and abroad, for national and multinational organisations, as well as providing project-related services.
Apart from the above-mentioned organisations, other institutions such as Universities and enterprises carry out several research and development programs in the nuclear field.
The Spanish Programme of Advanced Nuclear Plants is one of the most import research and development programs developed in the last several years. Based on the Spanish experience in the fields of construction and operation of nuclear power plants, the programme's aims include the design and licensing of international models of the Pressure Water Passive Reactor (AP600) and the Evolutionary Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR). In this field Spain is also participating with other European countries in the elaboration of European Utility Requirements (EUR) document.
Spain, as member of the European Union (EU), carries out most of its international activities within EU framework. Within the EU the most important programmes are the Research and Development Framework Programme and the Community Action Plan, as well as programmes for technical assistance to the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, mainly PHARE and TACIS. Spain participates in the Chernobyl Shelter Implementation Plan and is a member of the Contributor Assembly Fund established by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Spain also participates in the programmes of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
There are several non-profit associations that operate in the nuclear field. The main associations are:
Nuclear energy in Spain was developed in the early 1950s. At that time, the main organisation responsible in this field was the Junta de Energía Nuclear, a subordinate organisation within the Ministry of Industry and Energy, and was in charge of personnel training, raw materials procurement, basic scientific research and technology development. In 1964, the Law 25/1964 on nuclear energy was enforced, regulating the sector. (Note: the Junta de Energía Nuclear has been replaced by CIEMAT, which is now a subordinated organisation of the Ministry of Science and Technology).
In the late 1960s, construction started on the first generation of nuclear power plants, the José Cabrera, Santa Maria de Garoña and Vandellós I plants. These plants enabled Spain to obtain experience in order to establish a nuclear programme to cover the growing electricity demand. In the early 1970s the construction of the second generation of nuclear power plants, the Almaraz I and II, Lemóniz I and II, Ascó I and II and Cofrentes started.
In 1972, ENUSA, a state owned company, was established, taking charge of all the nuclear front-end fuel cycle activities. The Law 15/1980 created the Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (Nuclear Safety Council), the only organisation responsible in nuclear safety and radiological protection matters in Spain. In the early 1980's, construction of the nuclear power plants Valdecaballeros I and II, Vandellós II and Trillo I nuclear power plants started, and preparatory studies for Trillo II were initiated.
In 1983, a moratorium was established (construction pause) for the Lemóniz I and II, Valdecaballeros I and II, and Trillo II plants. In 1994, definitive cessation was decided for the nuclear power plants under the moratorium.
In 1984, Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos, S.A. (ENRESA) was established. The state owned company was responsible for radioactive waste management and the dismantling of nuclear installations in Spain.
For additional information on national laws and regulations concerning nuclear power please see the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency's Analytical Study of Nuclear Legislation in OECD countries.
The nuclear installation licensing procedure in Spain is regulated by Act No. 15 of 22 April 1980 setting up a Nuclear Safety Council as amended by Act No. 14 of 4 May 1999 and the Royal Decree 1836/1999 on Nuclear and Radioactive Facilities Regulation, approved 3 December 1999. The licensing procedure for nuclear installations includes seperate licences:
For plant dismantling and plant modification, an authorisation is required prior to commencement of activity. Figure 2 shows the nuclear installation licensing procedure. These licences are granted by the Ministry of Economy, on advise regarding nuclear safety and radiological protection received from the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN). Before the granting of a construction licence, the project must be submitted for an environmental impact study to the Ministry of the Environment. As a consequence of this analysis, the project can have certain requirements.
To obtain theses licences, the documents determined in the current regulations must be submitted to the licensing authorities and the suitable tests, analyses and validations must be performed.
Nuclear installations require authorisations granted by other administrative bodies, belonging to local administrations, according to the rules of these bodies. Before granting the siting authorisation, a 30 day period is established for public hearings. During this period anyone can present objections.
Law 54/1997 on the Electric Sector gives the right to free installation in the field of generation. In relation to nuclear power plants, currently, there is no application to build any new plants, and there is no strategy regarding the construction of new nuclear power plants.
In September 2002, the Spanish government approved the document "Gas and Electric Plan, Development of Transport Grids 2002-2011". The document foresees an increase in electric consumption on an average of 3.75% per year, increasing the use of gas and maintaining the use of nuclear capacity. In accordance with the liberalisation scheme, the plan provides no compulsory recommendations, and only contains indicative suggestions.
Law 54/1997 on Electric Sector, is the source of the electricity market's liberalisation, establishing the right to free installation of generating plants. Although prior government authorisation is required, this can only be refused on grounds of environmental legislation or if the owner does not provide sufficient technical and economic guarantees. Nevertheless, there are not currently any nuclear power plants under construction, project or license application, and in the short term there are no known electric companies who plan to build new nuclear power plants.
The operation of José Cabrera nuclear power plant will cease definitively on 30 April 2006.
The Ministry of the Economy, in collaboration with the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), the electricity industry and other agents involved in the nuclear sector, has set up a Strategic Committee for Research and Development in Nuclear Energy, which has drawn up a Strategic Research and Development Plan.
The Plan consists of eight programmes. The estimated budget for the three-year period from 2002-2004 was €60 million and in addition to the nuclear sector the participants, both technical and economic, include: CSN; ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas; ENRESA; engineering companies (Empresarios Agrupados, DTN, and TECNATOM); and the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT) - to which is to be added the support provided by multiple research groups linked to Spanish Universities.
Nuclear energy is playing a significant role in the energy supply of Spain is also contributing to the diversity of energy supply sources, reducing the external dependency and the greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2003, a Royal Decree regulating the activities of ENRESA and its financing, and an Order on the management of solid radioactive residual material coming from some radioactive installations were approved.
Radioactive waste management in Spain is performed in accordance with 5th General Plan for Radioactive Wastes approved by the government in 1999.
In the middle of 2003, the authorised dismantling works of Vandellós I nuclear power plant were ended. When the Spanish Authority granted the end of authorised works, the Level 2 had been reached and more than 80% of the site was ready to be released. After a waiting period estimated at some 30 years, Level 3 dismantling works will commence, that will leave the site completely free for subsequent unrestricted use.
ENRESA submitted in 2003 to the Ministry of the Economy an application for a project to store low-level radioactive waste in the El Cabril radioactive waste storage installation. The project consists of four cells with a storage volume of about 130,000 m3 of waste.
Appendix 1 - International, Multilateral and Bilateral Agreements
Nuclear facts and figures for OECD countries
Number of nuclear units connected to the grid; Nuclear electricity generation (net TWh); Nuclear percentage of total electricity supply.
IEA Energy Statistics: Spain
Data available in the following areas: Coal, oil and gas use; Electricity production, supply and consumption; Heat production, supply and consumption; Graphs of sectorial final consumption by source in 1973 and 2001.
The Decommissioning and Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities in OECD/NEA Member Countries: Spain
This compilation of national fact sheets is intended to serve as an authoritative source of reference information on individual NEA member countries. In this context, the term "nuclear facility" includes all facilities associated with the production of nuclear power, from mining of uranium, through fabrication of nuclear fuel, nuclear power plant operation, fuel reprocessing and waste management, including related R&D facilities, and research and demonstration reactors.
Nuclear Legislation in OECD Countries: Spain
Regulatory and Institutional Framework for Nuclear Activities
Each country profile in this valuable reference work provides a detailed review of a full range of nuclear law topics. These include: the general regulatory regime, including mining; radioactive substances and equipment; nuclear installations; trade in nuclear materials; radiation protection; radioactive waste management; non-proliferation and physical protection; transport; and nuclear third party liability.
Energy for a Changing World
A website of the European Commission Directorate-General for Energy and Transport.
Nuclear Energy Data
Nuclear Energy Data is the NEA’s annual compilation of essential statistics on electricity generation and nuclear power in OECD countries. The reader will have quick and easy reference to the status of and projected trends in total electricity generating capacity, nuclear generating capacity, and actual electricity production, as well as to supply and demand for nuclear fuel cycle services.
This is an edited extract from the IAEA Country Nuclear Power Profile of Spain, compiled in 2003. The complete entry is available from the IAEA.
Last updated: 20 June 2007
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