Country’s current policy sees last reactor closure in 2035
Sama Bilbao y León, director-general of the London-based World Nuclear Association (WNA) global industry group, raised concerns last week about Spain’s economic future if the country proceeds with plans to phase out nuclear energy, warning that industries and consumers stand to lose out on reliable, low-carbon power.
“I am concerned about Spain’s economic future without nuclear energy,” Bilbao y León said during a visit to Madrid, pointing to the country’s plan to begin shutting down its nuclear power plants in 2027.
“Progress and socioeconomic development require abundant, clean, and affordable energy, available 24/7, 365 days a year. Nuclear power provides exactly this, and major energy consumers around the world—heavy industry, the chemical sector, transportation, artificial intelligence—are increasingly turning to it, ”she said.
Her comments come as multiple countries push to expand nuclear generation, often citing stable power supply and lower carbon emissions.
Local industry leaders echoed her concerns. Fabián Torres, dean of the Official College of Industrial Engineers of Madrid (COIIM), called nuclear plants a “key infrastructure and an essential socioeconomic driver,” warning that decommissioning them could hinder Spain’s energy security and undermine competitiveness.
Ignacio Araluce, president of Spain’s local industry group Foro Nuclear, underscored the plants’ critical role while also calling for a reduction in the “excessive tax burden” on the industry.
Spain’s fleet of seven commercial nuclear power plants generated just over 52 TWh net of electricity in 2024, accounting for 19.57% of the country’s total net electricity production, Foro Nuclear said last month.
Earlier in February, Spain’s lower house of parliament approved a motion put forward by the right-leaning People’s Party that calls on the government to extend the operating lifetimes of the country’s nuclear power plants.
It also calls on the government to facilitate the economic sustainability of nuclear plants to reflect the fundamental role of reactors in the energy transition and in guaranteeing energy security and contributing to lower electricity market prices and greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the Spanish government's energy and climate plan, the current level of nuclear capacity will be maintained until at least 2025, then reduced to slightly above 3,000 MW from 2030 onwards. Should these shutdown plans proceed unchanged, Spain would have no operational nuclear plants by 2035.
