Spain’s Misguided Nuclear Phaseout Garners Opposition

As the U.S. makes a U-turn on premature nuclear closures with plans to restart both Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and Palisades in Michigan, Spain is sticking to the less than ideal model pioneered by the German nuclear phaseout: close the plants now and worry about grid reliability later.

Spain has seven nuclear reactors currently operating. Spain’s misguided nuclear phaseout agenda is set to begin with the Almaraz nuclear power plant, with Unit 1 set to close in 2027 and Unit 2 to follow in 2028. By 2035, all seven reactors will be closed under the policy.

Germany closed the last three of its 17 nuclear reactors in 2023, following a protracted debate over the wisdom of the move. The lack of Russian gas imports left the country’s power grid in a perilous position, and the closure of the nuclear plants was delayed until after the winter but did ultimately occur. Since then power prices have risen, and Germany is producing less of its own power while importing more from its neighbors. 

Spain’s phaseout plan has sparked significant push back especially in Almaraz where the first closures will occur. In January, a group of thousands—including plant workers, politicians, and concerned members of the public—marched from the town hall of Almaraz to the nuclear power plant. Marchers carried flags and banners with “Sí a Almaraz, sí al futuro” (Yes to Almaraz, yes to the future).

Nuclear closures are especially concerning in a country like Spain that relies heavily on renewables. This is because reliable nuclear is able to back up the intermittency of other sources like wind and solar that don’t produce power all the time. For example, in 2024 nuclear power generated nearly 20 percent of Spain’s electricity while making up just 5.44 percent of installed power capacity in the country. But why is that important? Nuclear operates much more consistently than sources like wind and solar, so less installed capacity (possible power plant output) makes more electricity. You get more power out of less nuclear capacity than you do for other sources, so need less of it to meet demand.

Additionally, Spain’s climate policy targets carbon neutrality by 2050. Nuclear power, which generates no carbon emissions would be a logical complement to such a policy, but dislike for the technology itself seems to have eclipsed the utility of its attributes.

In 2024, power demand in Spain rose and 56 percent of the country’s power came from renewables, mainly wind and solar. This is expected to rise to 81 percent by the end of the decade. A grid with this volume of intermittent renewables needs the continued reliable capacity of the country’s seven existing nuclear plants.

The closure of these plants is incredibly political. The nuclear phaseout was a major issue in the 2023 election, and the party that ultimately formed a government—the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party led by Pedro Sánchez—has continued efforts to close the reactors.

Spain would be wise to learn from the issues that Germany has experienced since its nuclear phaseout: decreased power production, increased imports of electricity, rising power prices, and a loss of industrial production. All of these consequences are a choice, and one that Spain would be wise to sidestep while there is still time to do so.