The electricity companies are officially requesting an extension to the closure of the Almaraz nuclear power plant.

MadridIberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy, the three companies that own the Almaraz nuclear power plant in Cáceres, have agreed to formally request the Spanish government to extend the plant's operating license until 2030. Following a meeting held this Thursday, the plant's board of owners approved the extension, according to sources familiar with the meeting, a fact later confirmed by the power companies themselves. The Spanish government has already received the request, as confirmed by sources at the Ministry for Ecological Transition. These same sources indicated that the Ministry will forward the request to the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) so that, as the regulatory body, it can issue its mandatory report.

The Almaraz I nuclear reactor is scheduled to be shut down in November 2027, and Almaraz II a few months later, in October 2028, according to the timetable agreed upon in 2019. However, these dates are subject to change following a proposal by Iberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy.

For weeks, the three companies have advocated for extending the plant's operating life, and in fact, last Friday they sent a letter to the Ministry for Ecological Transition expressing their "willingness" to submit the formal request, which finally arrived this Thursday. Nevertheless, there were disagreements among them regarding the extension request, particularly concerning the tax implications. In this regard, the president of Extremadura, María Guardiola (PP), had expressed openness to "adjusting the tax system" to facilitate the plant's continued operation.

It should be noted that extending the life of a nuclear power plant involves investment, both in maintenance and in the purchase of uranium, for example, while shutting it down and preparing it for decommissioning requires a different kind of investment.

The Spanish government's "red lines"

However, the Spanish government has not changed its position on the closure of the Almaraz nuclear power plant in Extremadura. The Ministry for Ecological Transition maintained that any proposal to extend the plant's lifespan "must meet three red lines." These red lines are: that the safety of citizens be guaranteed from a radiological perspective; that it not entail any cost for citizens and taxpayers; and that, finally, it be argued that it is necessary to guarantee security of supply. Furthermore, within Pedro Sánchez's government, the junior partner, Sumar, has repeatedly expressed its opposition to any step that goes against closing the plant. "Almaraz must close in 2027, because the closure of nuclear power plants is part of the governing agreement and must be fulfilled," warned Verónica Martínez Barbero, Sumar's spokesperson in the Congress of Deputies, this week. The decision by the power companies has been well received in the region, where in recent months more and more voices have been raised in favor of keeping the nuclear power plant open, due to its positive economic impact. The president of the "Yes to Almaraz, Yes to the Future" Platform, Fernando Sánchez, has asked the Spanish government to commit to the plant's continued operation. Sánchez considered the request for a three-year extension for the plant by the owning companies to be "a step forward" in ensuring its continued operation. "When we talk about continuity, we're talking about hope for our families, we're talking about support for the local economy and industry, a future for students and suppliers, and we're talking about quality jobs, so we're talking about positive things for everyone. Keeping it open is a step towards the future, because the closure has been a step towards the future."