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Remaining Lifetime, a Remotely Operated Robot
System and CAMP.
• Development of courses on medical practices
for the treatment of the potentially irradiated and
contaminated wounded, study of occupational
accident rates at nuclear power plants and
acquisition and dispatch of dosimetric and medical
data for the epidemiological study at nuclear
installations being performed by the International
Cancer Institute (IARC) of Lyon (France).
• Participation in a project on nuclear power plant
lifetime management, along with EDF, Tractebel and
Framatome, financed by the European Commission.
• Drawing up, with ENRESA, of Appendix J of the
UNESA-ENRESA Framework Contract for the
management of radioactive wastes, on the
dismantling of nuclear power plants.
Finally, I cannot but dedicate a few words to the
activities carried out from the UNESA nuclear area in
relation to the so-called Y2K Effect. The
coordination of work and activities (joint plans,
common database, procedures, etc.) with the plants,
the CSN and the Ministry of Industry and Energy’s
Electricity Committee for the Y2K Effect has made it
possible for the operation of Spain’s nuclear power
plants, and of all the other electricity generating
facilities, to continue with absolute normality as the
transition to the year 2000 took place.
It should be pointed out that, in accordance with
the directives issued by the Ministry of Industry and
Energy, and on the basis of the contingency plans
drawn up, the plants reduced their power to 60% in
order to minimise the effects that the hypothetical
shutdown of a high capacity unit might have on
national electricity supply during the transition to the
year 2000.
Like the rest of the Spanish electricity sector, the
nuclear power plants operated throughout the
aforementioned period of transition just like on any
other day of the year. Safety, in particular, was
maintained at the same high levels as is habitual,
with the systems and components performing with
absolute normality.
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ELECTRICITY
INDUSTRY WITHIN A LIBERALISED
FRAMEWORK
I should now like to say a few words regarding
some of the most significant aspects of the Electricity
Industry throughout 1999.
Progress in the process of liberalisation
The process of opening of the market has once
again been speeded up in 1999, with respect to what
is established in Law 54/1997. The approval of
Royal Decree Law 6/1999, of 16th April, regarding
Urgent Measures for Liberalisation and Increasing
Competition, has not only meant an additional
reduction in the electricity tariff, to which I shall
refer below, but also strengthening of the process of
liberalisation. The percentage of participation on the
organised generation market by eligible consumers
has increased throughout the year, reaching around
22% at year’s end. These consumers, who access
the market directly or through commercialisation
agents for their energy purchases, have benefited
from an average price reduction of approximately
20%.
Furthermore, in accordance with the
aforementioned Royal Decree Law, as from 1st July
2000, all those having supplies at nominal voltages of
more than 1,000 volts will be considered as qualified
electricity consumers, this meaning some 65,000
clients representing around 54% of the market.
• Gestión de más de 30 proyectos
del Plan Coordinado de
Investigación CSN-UNESA, cuyo
importe conjunto es de cerca de
800 MPta, habiendo finalizado 10
de ellos en 1999 y aplicado 205
MPta. Asimismo, se han continuado
los trabajos de los proyectos PIE sobre
Vida Remanente, Sistema
Robótico Teleoperado y CAMP.
• Desarrollo de cursos de prácticas
médicas para el tratamiento de
potenciales heridos irradiados y
contaminados, estudio de la accidentabilidad
laboral en las centrales
nucleares y obtención y envío de
datos dosimétricos y médicos para
el estudio epidemiológico en instalaciones
nucleares, que realiza el
Instituto Internacional del Cáncer
(IARC) de Lyon (Francia).
• Participación en un proyecto
sobre gestión de vida de centrales
nucleares junto con EDF, Tractebel y
Framatome, financiado por la
Comisión Europea.
• Redacción con ENRESA del
Apéndice J, sobre desmantelamiento
de centrales nucleares, del
Contrato-Tipo UNESA-ENRESA para
la gestión de residuos radiactivos.
Por último, no puedo por menos
que dedicar unas palabras a las actividades
que desde el área nuclear
de UNESA se han venido dedicando
al denominado Efecto 2000. La coordinación
de los trabajos y actuaciones
(Planes conjuntos, base de
datos común, procedimientos, etc)
con las centrales, el CSN y el
Comité Eléctrico del MINER para el
Efecto 2000 ha posibilitado que el
funcionamiento de las centrales nucleares
españolas, al igual que el
resto de las instalaciones de generación
eléctrica, haya sido absolutamente
normal en el tránsito al año
2000.
Es de señalar que, de acuerdo con
las directrices dadas por el
Ministerio de Industria y Energía en
base a los planes de contingencia
previstos, las centrales redujeron su
potencia al 60% con el fin de minimizar
los efectos que pudiera tener
sobre el suministro eléctrico nacional,
una hipotética parada de un
grupo de alta capacidad de generación.
Al igual que el resto del sector
eléctrico español, las centrales nucleares
funcionaron en dicho tránsito
como cualquier otro día del año.
En particular, la seguridad se mantuvo
en los mismos altos niveles que
vienen siendo habituales, con un
comportamiento absolutamente normal
de sus sistemas y componentes.
EL COMPORTAMIENTO DEL
SECTOR ELƒCTRICO EN UN
MARCO LIBERALIZADO
Llegados a este punto, permítanme
decirles unas palabras sobre algunos
otros aspectos significativos
del Sector Eléctrico en 1999.
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R e v i s t a S N E