This weekend I had the pleasure of visiting San Sebastian in the company of my colleagues CPIeros . Thank you very much for such wonderful hosts, and Igoretas Bushmen, have brought me good times Euskadi. Among the many stories they have told us, one of the most have left me impressed was that of the nuclear power Lemoniz .
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I admit, I'm too young to remember firsthand the events that preceded the nuclear moratorium, and perhaps for this reason, curiosity led me to write this post. Lemoniz history is sad, and demonstrates once again how irrational human beings. Do not go into political assessments, I will leave that to those who want to waste time, and in this blog only we care about the environment and science.
Everyone knows that Spain is currently no nuclear power, longer arms, but energy. However there was an ambitious project to develop nuclear energy extensively throughout the territory. We can put a date: in 1948 (only 3 years after the Hiroshima bomb), a group of scientists and military cover Atomic Research Board, in order to exploit uranium reserves that exist in Spain, and subsequently Nuclear Energy Board (JEN). The first experimental reactors came quickly, as the ARGOS, the IBA or JEN-I. The first nuclear power plant was operational Jose Cabrera in 1968, which has been operational until 2006. Garoña followed , Almaraz, Ascó , Cofrentes , Valdellós and Trillo, all built between 1970 and 1987. In total 10 reactors of which only 8 are active.
Public opinion is very susceptible, and there were two episodes unrelated to determine the energy policy of this country. The first was the Oil Crisis 1973, when OPEC decided to close the tap on oil exports (and wish I had been at least for environmental reasons, but again the irrationality of the human race offers us unpleasant surprises) . All the world's economy was affected, showing we are very dependent oil. Sure, it was necessary to develop alternative energy sources, and the spotlight was atomic energy.
was given much impetus to the development of nuclear energy in our country, many of the plants currently in operation were built at that time and invested large capital to develop new projects. But then he broke another historical event in the face of power: Chernobyl. (I remember the Chernobyl did not explode, is a metaphor)
The growing reluctance of people to the atomic energy was making things difficult, but the Chernobyl became impossible. Five reactors
remain unfinished: Lemoniz (I and II), Valdecaballeros (I and II) and Trillo (II). And here is where the sad story of Lemoniz. Lemoniz
never had the satisfaction of the Basque people. It constituted a Committee on Defense of Nuclear Costa Vasca not mobilized the people against this work. So far so good, the end of the public participation is a key element in environmental policy. The problem arose when the terrorist group ETA (or liberation army, I do not care whatever you want to call it) endorsed the anti-nuclear cause. Consequently, an increase in violence, two bombs in construction that killed 3-workers, constant acts of sabotage, the death of an ETA when they tried to enter the civil guard barracks, the death of an anti-nuclear activist in a police charge ... are acts that never, ever justify anything. What I got was to delegitimize the movement ETA citizen.
But what ended the accumulation of nonsense was the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the Chief Engineer, Jose Maria Ryan, in 1981. Although the work was at a standstill, even claimed another victim, Angel Pascual Mugica, in 1982, director of the company trying to complete the project.
The end justifies the means, and no human life, whether political color that is, worth less than the anti-or pro-nuclear ideas.
Lemoniz The event was one of the causes that determined the nuclear moratorium in 1984. The moratorium is a halt nuclear projects for an indefinite time. This moratorium has caused the power losses estimated at more than 700 billion pesetas (more than 4 billion €). In fact, to compensate for this loss, our electricity bill has included a canon dedicated to "give back" this money to the utilities. But this is not the only consequence, the English state had to force an increase in electricity generation in other systems, such as hydro or heat. And ironies of life (or rather hypocrisy, I would say), we bought a good MW to France, which does nuclear energy widely used (and shamelessly). But not everything is negative, since it also has allowed the development of renewable energy.
We are now at a point which has reopened the debate on energy, oil reserves will not last forever, and we must keep in mind that oil is much more useful for many other activities (some say diamonds burn!), coal is dirty (and you though some may be up radioactive). We need to consider new energy sources that allow us to emancipate ourselves from fossil fuels and if we do not want to dispense with all our energy, we must seriously consider using nuclear energy. But that will give me to another post on the NIMBY ...
Meanwhile, the concrete shell of the Central Lemoniz still remember what happened in the 80's, being a silent witness to our irrationality.
Alugnos Links: Wiki
Nuclear Power Lemoniz
a technical world: post in which he reflects on the implications of the moratorium
Nuclear Technology Handbook for Journalists (pdf)
Lemoiz Apurtu: web antinuclear but with a detailed chronology of Lemoniz
View larger map
I admit, I'm too young to remember firsthand the events that preceded the nuclear moratorium, and perhaps for this reason, curiosity led me to write this post. Lemoniz history is sad, and demonstrates once again how irrational human beings. Do not go into political assessments, I will leave that to those who want to waste time, and in this blog only we care about the environment and science.
Everyone knows that Spain is currently no nuclear power, longer arms, but energy. However there was an ambitious project to develop nuclear energy extensively throughout the territory. We can put a date: in 1948 (only 3 years after the Hiroshima bomb), a group of scientists and military cover Atomic Research Board, in order to exploit uranium reserves that exist in Spain, and subsequently Nuclear Energy Board (JEN). The first experimental reactors came quickly, as the ARGOS, the IBA or JEN-I. The first nuclear power plant was operational Jose Cabrera in 1968, which has been operational until 2006. Garoña followed , Almaraz, Ascó , Cofrentes , Valdellós and Trillo, all built between 1970 and 1987. In total 10 reactors of which only 8 are active.
Public opinion is very susceptible, and there were two episodes unrelated to determine the energy policy of this country. The first was the Oil Crisis 1973, when OPEC decided to close the tap on oil exports (and wish I had been at least for environmental reasons, but again the irrationality of the human race offers us unpleasant surprises) . All the world's economy was affected, showing we are very dependent oil. Sure, it was necessary to develop alternative energy sources, and the spotlight was atomic energy.
was given much impetus to the development of nuclear energy in our country, many of the plants currently in operation were built at that time and invested large capital to develop new projects. But then he broke another historical event in the face of power: Chernobyl. (I remember the Chernobyl did not explode, is a metaphor)
The growing reluctance of people to the atomic energy was making things difficult, but the Chernobyl became impossible. Five reactors
remain unfinished: Lemoniz (I and II), Valdecaballeros (I and II) and Trillo (II). And here is where the sad story of Lemoniz. Lemoniz
never had the satisfaction of the Basque people. It constituted a Committee on Defense of Nuclear Costa Vasca not mobilized the people against this work. So far so good, the end of the public participation is a key element in environmental policy. The problem arose when the terrorist group ETA (or liberation army, I do not care whatever you want to call it) endorsed the anti-nuclear cause. Consequently, an increase in violence, two bombs in construction that killed 3-workers, constant acts of sabotage, the death of an ETA when they tried to enter the civil guard barracks, the death of an anti-nuclear activist in a police charge ... are acts that never, ever justify anything. What I got was to delegitimize the movement ETA citizen.
But what ended the accumulation of nonsense was the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the Chief Engineer, Jose Maria Ryan, in 1981. Although the work was at a standstill, even claimed another victim, Angel Pascual Mugica, in 1982, director of the company trying to complete the project.
The end justifies the means, and no human life, whether political color that is, worth less than the anti-or pro-nuclear ideas.
Lemoniz The event was one of the causes that determined the nuclear moratorium in 1984. The moratorium is a halt nuclear projects for an indefinite time. This moratorium has caused the power losses estimated at more than 700 billion pesetas (more than 4 billion €). In fact, to compensate for this loss, our electricity bill has included a canon dedicated to "give back" this money to the utilities. But this is not the only consequence, the English state had to force an increase in electricity generation in other systems, such as hydro or heat. And ironies of life (or rather hypocrisy, I would say), we bought a good MW to France, which does nuclear energy widely used (and shamelessly). But not everything is negative, since it also has allowed the development of renewable energy.
We are now at a point which has reopened the debate on energy, oil reserves will not last forever, and we must keep in mind that oil is much more useful for many other activities (some say diamonds burn!), coal is dirty (and you though some may be up radioactive). We need to consider new energy sources that allow us to emancipate ourselves from fossil fuels and if we do not want to dispense with all our energy, we must seriously consider using nuclear energy. But that will give me to another post on the NIMBY ...
Meanwhile, the concrete shell of the Central Lemoniz still remember what happened in the 80's, being a silent witness to our irrationality.
Alugnos Links: Wiki
Nuclear Power Lemoniz
a technical world: post in which he reflects on the implications of the moratorium
Nuclear Technology Handbook for Journalists (pdf)
Lemoiz Apurtu: web antinuclear but with a detailed chronology of Lemoniz
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