Spain is the only country in the EU which has nuclear reactors of the same design as those seen in Fukushima in Japan

Spain is the only country in the EU which has nuclear reactors of the same design as those seen in Fukushima in Japan, now seriously affected by the earthquake and tsunami which hit the NE of the country last Friday.

The boiling water design can be found in Spain at Cofrentes, Valencia, and in Santa María de Garoña in Burgos. The former was opened in 1984 but the latter opened in 1971, the same year as the Japanese plant.

The boiling water design came from General Electric in the 50’s and is an alternative to the pressurised water design, and both are considered to be as safe as each other.

The problems in Japan have re-opened the nuclear debate, and in Spain the Government has already extended the life of the Garoña plant to 2013.

Greenpeace has recently criticised safety at the Cofrentes plant, saying it is showing its age, and claiming it is not even needed if the data of the Spanish electricity supply is studied. Greenpeace has accused the plant’s owner, Iberdrola, of putting profit before investment. The ecologists also note that earthquakes upto 5.1 on the Richter scale have been seen in Spain, in provinces where there are nuclear plants.

The Government is expected to make a decision on whether to extend the working life of the Cofrentes plant later this week.

Meanwhile EU leaders meeting in Brussels today will debate how prepared European infrastructure is should there be a massive failure of the power supply, as seen in Japan following the quake.

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