The eighth Spanish nuclear power plant: Vandellós II
The Vandellós II nuclear power plant is in the municipality of Vandellós and L’Hospitalet de l’Infant in the region of Baix Camp, province of Tarragona and on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
In December of 1987 it was first connected to the electric grid
It is one of Spain’s youngest nuclear power plants. Its construction period was a time of maximum activity for the Spanish nuclear industry. In the eighties, over 20,000 people were directly employed by nuclear energy. Of these, over 5,000 were highly qualified technicians. Approximately 100,000 people collaborated with this industry through companies that provided goods and services.
How the idea came to be
The construction permit was granted in 1980, but the site was not completed until 1987. In December of that year it was first connected to the electric grid, and on March 8th 1988 the Vandellós II nuclear power plant launched its commercial operation.
In 1988 Vandellós II became Catalonia’s third nuclear power plant. The installed power of Catalonia came to surpass 3,000 MW, a fact that greatly boosted power generation in Spain.
Site characteristics
The technology for this site is known as PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor). The main provider is Westinghouse, and proprietors are Endesa (72%) and Iberdrola (28%). The unit’s net electric power is 1,045.3 MW.
For further information:
- The first Spanish nuclear power plant: José Cabrera
- The second Spanish nuclear power plant: Santa María de Garoña
- The third Spanish nuclear power plant: Vandellós I
- The fourth Spanish nuclear power plant: Almaraz I and II
- The fifth Spanish nuclear power plant: Ascó I and II
- The sixth Spanish nuclear power plant: Cofrentes
- The seventh Spanish nuclear power plant: Trillo I
