decision State Central destroy Dams of the Valdecaballeros reservoir (Badajoz) caused a great stir due to complaints from Junta de Extremadura, councils of nearby municipalities and residents. also fed by alarm caused drought and for the general discussion on the dismantling of dams and reservoirs in other areas Spain.
They also totally add to the discussion Endesa And iberdrolaelectricity companies sharing the concession for the use of dams designed to cool the two reactors that the company will integrate. Valdecaballeros nuclear power plant was not bornIt was never affected by the moratorium approved by the Felipe González Government in the eighties.
The two energy companies filed separate objections a few weeks ago. Stopping the decision of the Ministry of Ecological Transformation to undertake the demolition of the reservoir, in front of the Minister of State for the Environment, as confirmed by sources from both companies, from the Prensa Ibérica group to EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA. These are two different appeals, but have the same wording and are presented at the same time.
The ministerial order also stipulates that Endesa and Iberdrola are the ones who bear the cost of the demolition work. and the management of all waste from the facilities. While a previous review of these studies estimated the amount of investments to be around 10 million euros, companies estimate the current cost to be much higher. The resources of the electricity companies are requesting precautionary measures to stop the demolition project having to be prepared and submitted to the Administration in less than six months.
The ministry’s Directorate-General for Water, under the command of Vice-President Teresa Ribera, issued a decision last month providing for the mandatory demolition of the Valdecaballeros dam. Endesa and Iberdrola waive their exclusive water use concession in 2021and the Government has now undertaken the process of the collapse of the reservoir and the complete recovery of the Guadiana hydrographic basin as the Guadalupejo river passes through the municipality of Badajoz.
Who owns it and who pays?
After the González Socialist Executive Board’s decision on the nuclear moratorium in 1984, the construction work of the Valdecaballeros nuclear power plant was halted in 1991 and In 1994, the project was permanently suspended. For 25 years, all Spanish consumers have paid surcharges to their electricity bills to compensate for the shutdowns of the power companies Valdecaballeros and Lemoniz power stations.
In their appeal, Endesa and Iberdrola argue that since 1994 the Government has actually owned the property. Therefore, if the Administrator finally orders demolition, the cost of the work is the Ministry or Enresa, the public company responsible for nuclear waste management and dismantling the facilities. should be undertaken by
In addition, Endesa and Iberdrola consider that the demolition order can be considered retroactive, since the legislation in force when work on the plant was stopped (and in their opinion transferred ownership) only water was returned to the Administration at the expiry of its validity, but then a legal reform, public interest allowed to request demolition.
In any case, the two companies advocate self-funded maintenance of the facilities, realizing that there is no justification offered by the Government explaining why maintenance of the dams is now impossible 30 years after paralyzing their nuclear work. and that the Manager has not conducted a previous study of the environmental impact of the destruction in the area.
The government started to back down
Junta de Extremadura had submitted its own appeal to the Ministry to try to protect the dam and paralyze the decision, as it had not been consulted before on demolition and violated environmental laws. Nature 2000 Network and as there are -unregulated-water inflows for local supply, which can create “supply problems” for nearby municipalities.
After protests by the junta, nearby municipalities and residents, the Ministry of Interior ecological transition It has started to take a step back in the face of the interest of the administrations to use it for maintenance and water supply and has shown that it is open to correcting the demolition decision. Vice President Teresa Ribera pointed out at Congress this Wednesday that it is “absolutely possible” to carry out the will of the Board, and that there are contacts with the regional government to examine the “way” to carry it out. For now, the order remains in effect and there is no official decision to revoke it.