Nuclear remains Spain's largest electricity supplier

Friday, 10 July 2015

Spain's seven nuclear power reactors generated 57.3 TWh of electricity in 2014, accounting for one-fifth of the country's electricity, according to figures compiled by trade association Foro Nuclear.

Production of nuclear electricity in Spain increased by 0.8% last year compared with the 56.7 TWh generated in 2013. However, nuclear's share of total generation declined slightly from 20.9% to 20.5%.

At the end of 2014, Spain's installed nuclear generating capacity stood at 7864.7 MWe gross, representing 7.3% of total installed capacity in the country. This was 0.6% lower than at the end of 2013. However, Foro Nuclear noted that nuclear represented 33.4% of Spain's emission-free electricity generating capacity in 2014, up from 32.6% the previous year.

Electricity generation in 2014 from conventional technologies came from coal (16.6%), hydro (12.8%), combined cycle (9.2%) and gas (2.4%). The remaining 38.5% of generation came from renewable and other sources, with wind energy accounting for 18.6%.

Spain's nuclear power plants far out-performed the other energy sources in terms of operating performance last year. Its reactors ran with an average load factor of 88.4%, an operating factor of 89.8% and an availability factor of 88.4%.

"The good operation of Spanish nuclear plants is reflected by their competitive, predictable and abundant production of electricity," Foro Nuclear said. It added, "Under our current circumstances the long-term operation of Spanish nuclear plants is an effective and necessary energy strategy."

Foro Nuclear represents more than 50 Spanish companies, which together support about 30,000 jobs.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News