It is undoubtedly a political issue, but with an important economic basis, we could say. That it has been raised on a national scale, even though the issue is seen in Extremadura as something decisive for the future of that especially affected Autonomous Community.
Almaraz is 2,000 MW in two reactors, in the province of Cáceres, on the banks of the Tagus. And it has been operating since 1983, without any kind of nuclear safety episode having occurred there.
And above all, Almaraz is still, despite the persecution that nuclear power plants have had by a series of environmentalists for poorly founded reasons, the current provider of 8 percent of the electrical energy that we produce in Spain, with a permanent basis and the possibility of guaranteeing that blackouts will not occur, if this important force is maintained, at precisely the most critical moments, when the stability of the entire system may fail.
In the development of the issue for many years now, Felipe González had the bad idea of proposing a nuclear moratorium that wiped out several planned plants, and some already built almost entirely in Badajoz, without forgetting the one that was closed and never reopened in Vizcaya, the Lemóniz plant, due to the blows of ETA. With this policy, other systems were used, such as combined cycle plants based on natural gas. Producing large surpluses in them, which have not been known to be used appropriately.
And here we are now in a situation in which it will be decided whether to maintain the status quo for Almaraz planned long ago, or if the three large electricity companies that own it, Iberdrola, Endesa and Naturgy, agree and are counted on. Pending a series of tax issues.
Personally, I think we have a clear option: keep Almaraz.