Industries

LEMONIZ NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

The power plants planned by Iberduero in P. Vasco were Ea, Lemóniz, Deba and Tudela. The world energy crisis derived from the exorbitant rise in the price of oil had not yet begun and the results of savage developmentalism were beginning to be evident and contested throughout the world. The four power plants ran into the opposition of the nascent environmentalism and, above all, that of the neighboring towns. With the precedent of the popular opposition to the construction of various ammonia processing plants in Baracaldo and various actions in other areas of Europe, these will succeed in paralyzing the projects in Ea, Deba and Tudela. Not so the one from Lemóniz who will go ahead despite the opposition raised. On April 18, 1972, Iberduero SA asked the mayor of Mungu for the provisional license for the construction of the Lemóniz nuclear power plant. The Mungu a city council agreed not to grant the ed building permit because that area was classified as rural in the formal Urban Planning Plan. For this reason, it communicates that it considers it essential to previously obtain a change of qualification or a dispensation from urban regulations. On May 8, Iberduero SA responds with a letter stating that it will file the appeals corresponding to said permit denial. On the 23rd of that month, the General Directorate of Energy granted Iberduero, SA permission to install two nuclear plants of 930 megawatts each, to be financed by means of a loan from the Import-Export Bank. Westinghouse provide the equipment for the steam s, the turbine and the first charge of nuclear fuel. Lemóniz I entered service in November 1976 and Lemóniz II in June 1978 (Ref. Rev. Transistor, May 1972). On July 20, Iberduero sends a letter to the city council in which it begs that, having received this letter in due time and form, it deigns to admit it by having (sic) ed the works license and opening license of a power plant. electrical energy of nuclear origin with a power of 1,800,000 KVA... He adds that although the study is in an advanced stage, this company is unable to present it at the present time... . On August 3, the Municipal Corporation agrees to grant, in principle and provisionally, authorization to begin the construction works of the nuclear power plant... and to grant a provisional license for the installation and opening of the industry in question . So we can see that, with a provisional license, which only allows provisional works to be carried out, most of the works are carried out. On September 27, 1973, Iberduero ed prior authorization to build another three nuclear power plants: Punta Endata (Deba), Oguella (Ispaster-Ea) and Bergara (Tudela). On March 14 of the following year, the General Directorate of Energy of the Ministry of Industry authorized the construction of the installation of the two 900 MW units in Lemóniz, but with the obligation that this authorization be accompanied by and a works license granted by the affected municipalities.