Spain extends Almaraz nuclear plant operations through June 2030 amid energy security concerns

Government extends Almaraz operations

The Spanish government has extended the operating authorization for Units I and II of the Almaraz nuclear plant until June 8, 2030, according to an order published in the Boletin Oficial del Estado (BOE) on Friday, August 14. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) confirmed the decision, which adds 31 months for Almaraz I and 19 months for Almaraz II compared to their previously scheduled closure dates. The plant, located in Caceres province in Extremadura, supports over 4,000 jobs in the region.

The Almaraz reactors were originally set to be the first to shut down under Spain's nuclear phase-out calendar, with Unit I slated for closure in 2027. That calendar was agreed in 2019 by Enresa and the plant owner companies. The government emphasized that the extension applies exclusively to Almaraz and does not alter the 2035 deadline for the complete shutdown of Spain's nuclear fleet. After the extension, Almaraz, Asco I, and Cofrentes will all cease operations in 2030.

Energy security rationale

The government cited extraordinary international circumstances in its decision. MITECO sources pointed to the impact of the Iran war on fossil fuel prices and supplies, as well as the continuation of the war in Ukraine, creating a scenario of high volatility and elevated fossil fuel prices whose duration is impossible to predict. The volatility and uncertainty are described as significantly greater than anticipated just months ago.

The extension was granted after the Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (CSN) issued a favorable report on July 16, confirming the plant's adequate level of radiological safety. The government stressed that the extension involves no fiscal rebates or economic compensation for the owner companies, Iberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy, despite their requests for tax reductions.

Conditions imposed on operators

The BOE order imposes several obligations on the plant owners. They must maintain sufficient staffing through 2030, particularly in safety-related positions, with adequate resources during 2028, 2029, and 2030. The companies must also execute additional safety measures required by the CSN, including a program to verify that certain mechanical equipment can function correctly in the event of an accident, and enhanced monitoring of the installation's aging. The owners are also required to prepare industrial and employment alternatives for the region ahead of the eventual closure.

Regional and political reactions

The decision triggered a wave of reactions across Extremadura. Maria Guardiola, president of the Junta de Extremadura, celebrated the extension as one of her government's key objectives.

Almaraz seguira abierta hasta 2030 y con ella seguira latiendo una parte esencial de nuestra tierra.

She described the extension as giving certainty to a region and protecting thousands of jobs. Alvaro Sanchez Cotrina, secretary general of the PSOE of Extremadura, called the decision very good news and defended the government's process.

Hoy es un dia para celebrar una buena noticia. El Gobierno de Espana ha vuelto a prorrogar la central nuclear de Almaraz porque se daban las condiciones para hacerlo y porque se ha seguido el procedimiento establecido. La normalidad se ha impuesto y tenemos que felicitarnos todos.

The citizens' platform 'Si a Almaraz, Si al futuro' received the decision with relief. Its president, Fernando Sanchez, said the extension restores confidence to thousands of families. The platform noted that North Anna, Almaraz's twin plant in Virginia, United States, has already been authorized to operate for 80 years, a precedent it cited as evidence of the Spanish plant's potential for continued service.

A recent Metroscopia poll showed 94% of PP voters and 93% of PSOE and Vox voters support the plant's continuity.

A decade of shifting positions

The PSOE's stance on nuclear energy has evolved over more than a decade. In the 2011 election campaign, with Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba as presidential candidate, the party's program stated that increased capacity from other electricity generation technologies would enable a gradual closure of nuclear plants at the end of their 40-year useful life, with the Spanish nuclear fleet ceasing to operate by 2028. In 2015, with Pedro Sanchez as leader, the program still called for implementing a closure calendar for 40-year-old nuclear plants, starting with Garona. The same line continued in 2016. In 2019, nuclear closure became part of the governing agreement between the PSOE and Unidas Podemos.