Vandellòs II, obtains permission to operate for another 10 years

These days the Ascó-Vandellòs II Nuclear Association, AIE (ANAV) announced that it had been granted the renewal of the authorization for the operation for another 10 years of the Vandellòs II nuclear power plant, thanks to the favorable report of the Plenary of the CSN, under the criteria of correct operation, adequate maintenance, security and capacity to give answer to the normative and evolutionary requirements, among others.

In the statement, ANAV announces that it maintains an investment program at the plant to keep the state of the facility permanently up to date and ensure the safe and reliable operation of the plant.

CETIT welcomes the decision and wishes to congratulate the ANAV effusively for the work it has carried out, which has allowed it to achieve renewal.

In times of uncertainty, both economic and social, a news like this woman hopes that, regardless of what everyone thinks in reference to nuclear energy, the truth is that the Vandellòs II nuclear power plant generates almost 20% of the 'electricity generated in Catalonia, and is a moral and economic injection for our territory, accustomed to the dismantling of plants without any other alternative.

The question of the origin of electricity today is on everyone's lips, and everyone thinks that energy sources should be "clean"; but as engineers, we do not believe that this alone is the great enigma. The big enigma is talking about the territorial sustainability model. Those in the center are clear, its model is a sustainability of the country, scattered facilities, productions, etc., away from the center to feed that and leaving what is left as a green area. Those in the rest of Catalonia are also clear, their model is local sustainability based on self-sufficiency.

Both models will have followers and detractors, but what no one wants to address is that a balance of compensation needs to be found. My godfather used to say: “what you don't want for yourself, you don't want for anyone”; and this is the key to balance, the “I give you and you have given” is the formula that should govern sustainable planning that is always appropriate to the environment. It is unacceptable that the plans for the locations of windmills, photovoltaic, nuclear and petrochemical parks are always in the south, without the people living in the territory taking any counterpart and in return bear all the inconveniences.

Therefore, from CETIT we are deeply glad that a company established in our territory can continue for ten more years managing the operation of the plant having done things well, but they demand sustainable balance so that our peoples, the day that the authorizations are not renewed, they do not become deserts with manpower willing to endure the deportations that the center has designed for us.

Antoni Escarré Paris

Dean