Spain extends Almaraz nuclear plant to 2030, delays closure by 3 years
The extension follows a favourable safety report and aims to limit price spikes while keeping the plant’s two reactors running under Spain’s phase-out plan.
- On Friday, the Spanish Government authorized extending the operating life of the Almaraz nuclear power plant until June 8, 2030, via a ministerial order published in the Official State Gazette.
- Firms owning the facility formally requested the three-year extension last autumn, while local resident opposition and energy security concerns following a nationwide blackout last year prompted the Government's reversal.
- The Nuclear Safety Council confirmed the site meets all safety standards to operate until 2030, supporting the decision; Almaraz provides around 7% of national electricity and sustains around 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.
- Extremadura leader Maria Guardiola welcomed the decision as "a decision that provides certainty" for local families, while far-left coalition partner Sumar criticized it as based on "corporate pressure" rather than environmental needs.
- The Government insisted the extension "has a very limited impact" on existing energy policy and "does not alter the rest of the timetable," with the full nuclear phase-out scheduled for 2035.
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57 Articles
Spain wants to get out of nuclear power by 2035. However, due to the tense situation on the international energy markets, the left government now deviates from the timetable.
Spain extends largest nuclear plant in policy U-turn
But the decision was condemned by a far-left party that is a junior member of the ruling coalition. The Almaraz plant in the western region of Extremadura was slated to close in 2028 as part of the government's plan to shut all nuclear reactors by 2035 and bet heavily on renewables. But the three Spanish firms that own the site -- Iberdrola, Endesa and Naturgy -- asked the government last year to allow Almaraz to remain in service for another tw…
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Greenpeace rejects the extension of the Almaraz nuclear power plant. The NGO has expressed strong opposition to the permit to extend its operation until 2030. The organization considers that this measure constitutes a serious step backwards in the process of energy transition and serves only the interests of the electric multinationals. According to the environmental entity, extending the operational life of the reactors will significantly incre…
From the PP they point out that the renewal exposes the "failure" of the energy policy of the Executive
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