Extending the life of nuclear power plants would save Catalan industry €280 million per year
A Deloitte report indicates that keeping them running would particularly benefit the chemical and food industries
BarcelonaClosing the three nuclear power plants in Catalonia (Ascó I, Ascó II, and Vandellòs II) would cost Catalan industry 280 million euros per year. This is the main conclusion of a study by the consultancy firm Deloitte, presented this Tuesday at the Cercle d'Economia in Barcelona. For the whole of Spain, which is less dependent on nuclear power than Catalonia, the cost would be around 1.4 billion euros. The report is based on the premise that energy costs represent 25% of industry's operating profit, and therefore, the more electricity saved, the more competitive industry will be.
Laureano Álvarez, from Deloitte, who presented this report, stated that conditions have changed since 2019
has assured that conditions have changed with respect to 20192).
But, in addition, he pointed out that when the timetable for closing the power plants was agreed, supply security was not a concern, but since 2022, with the war in Ukraine and now with the war in Iran, the concern is no longer just the price of energy, but supply security. "Extending the life of nuclear power plants would lead to savings of between 14 and 15 euros per megawatt hour" (MWh), assured the Deloitte representative. "Nuclear power acts as insurance against uncertainty, and this was already seen in 2022," he indicated.
In addition, the general secretary of the Cercle, Miquel Nadal, indicated that the electricity demand of industry will grow in the coming years. On the one hand, due to the European objective of achieving that 20% of gross domestic product (GDP, the indicator that measures the economic activity of a territory) is generated by the industrial sector. On the other hand, because new industrial models are increasingly energy-intensive, as is the case with the digital industry and data centers. "Affordable energy is key to competitiveness," added Nadal, who recalled that it is one of the factors that cause the United States or China to gain competitiveness over Europe.
In the case of Catalonia, furthermore, the saving in energy prices brought about by nuclear power would benefit very crucial industries in the productive fabric. The Deloitte study indicates that the chemical industry would save between 50 and 80 million euros per year if the power plants remain in operation; the food industry would save between 40 and 60 million per year; metallurgy, between 20 and 35 million; the paper industry, between 20 and 25 million; rubber and plastic, between 15 and 20 million; and automotive, between 12 and 20 million. The regions that would benefit most from not closing the nuclear power plants would be Camp de Tarragona, Vallès, Baix Llobregat, and Osona.
Fossil dependence
with the delay in the development of renewables and storage, will have to be replaced by gas, which generates emissions. That's why it has made it clear: "[nuclears] we are not competing with renewables".
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The representative of Fòrum Nuclear also pointed out that in the United States there are twin power plants to some in Spain that have extended their useful life up to 80 years. And she made it clear that if nuclear power plants are shut down, with the delay in the development of renewables and storage, they will have to be replaced by gas, which generates emissions. Therefore, she made it clear: "[nuclear power plants] we are not competing with renewables".