Endesa, Iberdrola, and Naturgy communicate by letter that they are "willing" to extend the useful life of Almaraz.
The three owners have not yet submitted a formal request, but the intention is to avoid the plant's closure in 2027.
MadridEndesa, Iberdrola, and Naturgy have sent a letter to the Ministry for Ecological Transition expressing their "willingness" to extend the useful life of the Almaraz nuclear power plant in Extremadura, which is scheduled to close in 2027, as explained by sources from this department. The ministry, headed by Sara Aagesen, explains that this Friday they received a letter from the three owners of Almaraz, in which they "exclusively" convey their "willingness" to extend the closure schedule. The same sources explain that "no specific action is being notified or anticipated."
The Spanish government, however, has not changed its position regarding the closure of the Extremadura plant. Thus, the Ministry for Ecological Transition emphasizes that "in order to study any extension of the plant's useful life, the proposal must meet three red lines." These red lines are: ensuring the safety of citizens from a radiological perspective; that does not entail a cost for citizens and taxpayers and that, finally, it is argued that it is convenient to guarantee security of supply.
![A file photo of the Almaraz nuclear power plant. Around thirty mayors and councilors from the area gathered there to demand its continued operation.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 9"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In this regard, many in the energy sector suggest that the massive power outage of April 28th could tip the balance regarding the future of the power plants in favor of the companies that own them, that is, in favor of extending their useful lifespans, and therefore, forcing the government to reconsider. The current Spanish nuclear shutdown schedule calls for their closure between 2027 and 2035.
In recent days, Iberdrola and Naturgy have reiterated their position"In 2019, the nuclear closure schedule was proposed, and we participated in it, taking into account the planning of an energy supply and demand curve that made it feasible while also ensuring security of supply, but many things have happened during this period," reflected Naturgy President Francisco Reynés this week during a forum address. Reynés not only called for postponing the shutdown of the Almaraz plant, scheduled for 2027-2028, until 2030, but also for extending the rest of the schedule.
