Shutting down nuclear power plants will increase the Catalan electricity bill by 33%.

BarcelonaShutting down the three Catalan nuclear power plants will increase the Principality's electricity bill by at least €543 million annually, according to calculations in a study conducted by PwC, presented this Friday by the partner responsible for the consultancy firm's energy sector, Óscar Barrero. In fact, this calculation is based on a projection of a standardized gas price of around €30 per MWh. However, the price could rise to €1.221 billion annually if the price of gas were to rise. In other words, nuclear generation in Catalonia reduces the cost of electricity production by 33%.

The report indicates that extending the life of the three nuclear plants—Ascó I, Ascó II, and Vandellós II—by 10 years, which must close between 2030 and 2034, would save Catalans €5.4 billion. The basis for these calculations lies, according to Barrero, in the lack of development of renewable energy in Catalonia and of storage systems such as batteries and pumped storage plants. Given this situation, it is unfeasible to meet the forecasts of Proencat (Catalonia's energy roadmap), and therefore, a large portion of nuclear generation would have to be replaced with combined-cycle gas production, which would increase the bill.

The report argues that nuclear power accounts for 58% of electricity generation in Catalonia. Furthermore, the Principality has a deficit in electricity production, with between 7% and 10% imported from France or other regions. Added to this is the fact that renewable energy production is insufficient. "The Proencat plan requires the installation of 1,500 MW of renewable energy per year until 2030, while over the last decade the figure stood at 24 MW, making it impossible to replace nuclear power lost with renewables, which will have negative impacts on the region," says

In fact, the report highlights that Catalonia had 1,801 MW installed between wind and photovoltaic power at the end of 2024, with the aim of reaching 11,230 MW by 2030, which would mean multiplying the renewable energy available in Catalonia by six. The PwC partner insisted that most countries are extending the life of their nuclear power plants, especially after the EU included this source of generation in its taxonomy. greenHe also highlighted that the only European country to close its nuclear plants, Germany, has seen energy prices become more expensive and, in addition, emissions have increased because they have required greater generation from combined gas cycles and even coal-fired thermal plants. "Germany has many renewables, but it hasn't managed to break its dependence on fossil fuels," Barrero insisted.

The other key factor is storage. Catalonia currently has 534 MW (only pumped storage plants), and the goal is to reach 2,234 MW by 2030 (200 MW from batteries and 2,034 MW from pumped storage), which means quadrupling the current capacity. This goal, given the investments required and the time required to develop them, seems quite significant.

Geopolitical change

The president of Foro Nuclear – the employers' association of Spanish atomic power plants – Ignacio Araluce, who participated in the presentation of the report, complained about The Spanish government's lack of dialogue on the possible extension of the life of nuclear power plants. An extension that, he said, would not require any investment for the seven Spanish plants beyond the €200 million they currently invest annually. He also complained that the closure protocol was agreed upon in 2019 (the first closure will be that of the Almaraz plant in 2027), although "geopolitical circumstances have changed a lot."

The director of sustainable development for the Fomento del Trabajo employers' association, Salvador Sedó, also participated in the presentation. He emphasized that for the decarbonization of industry, it is necessary, on the one hand, to guarantee supply, which is difficult if nuclear plants are shut down and very high voltage lines and interconnection are not increased. Sedó gave a couple of examples: the Tarragona petrochemical plant will consume as much electricity as the three nuclear plants, or an electric furnace at the Celsa steel company consumes as much as if every home in Tarragona were to turn on the furnace. He also emphasized that if electricity becomes more expensive due to the nuclear shutdown, Catalonia would lose competitiveness and the ability to attract industry.