The State extends the life of the Almaraz nuclear power plant until 2030

BarcelonaAlmaraz nuclear power plant buys time. The Spanish government authorized this Friday the extension of the lifespan of its two reactors after the favorable report a month ago from the Nuclear Safety Council. Thus, as published in the Official State Gazette (BOE), the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has renewed the operating authorization for units I and II of the plant until June 8, 2030. It is worth remembering that, until now, the Extremaduran nuclear power plant had permission to operate one reactor until 2027 and another until 2028, being the first in the State to be shut down.

Sources from the Ministry for Ecological Transition explain that the decision "is made by weighing the extraordinary circumstances arising from the conflict in the Middle East and the continuation of the war in Ukraine". Thus, the Spanish government points out that the measure has been taken in view of the "volatility" and "uncertainty" of the current geopolitical context and indicates that "the temporary extension may contribute to moderating consumers' exposure to unforeseen peaks in fossil fuel prices".

"This government's commitment to renewable energies remains intact," indicate ministry sources, who assure that "renewables have improved Spain's competitiveness, have helped protect consumers from rising fossil fuel prices, and are generating economic growth and attracting new industrial projects." "Our roadmap is clear, as it has been all these years" and "the government will continue to promote an unprecedented agenda of commitment to renewables because we know that it is our main lever for competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and modernization of our economy," they assure from the ministry.

Without altering the definitive cessation

The ministry also points out that the approved extension is limited to 31 months for Unit I and 19 months for Unit II, and maintains that this extension "represents a reduced proportion of the planned average lifespan of the Spanish nuclear fleet", without altering the rest of the schedule or the definitive cessation date of the entire nuclear fleet, which is set for 2035. On paper, the Spanish government plans the closure of Ascó I in October 2030; Ascó II in October 2032 and Vandellòs II in February 2035. The Ascó Vandellòs II Nuclear Association (ANAV), which operates the Catalan atomic plants, requested a few weeks ago to maintain the operation of the plants beyond the announced date.

However, sources from the energy sector point out that if the closure of Almaraz is extended beyond 2028, it may be difficult to meet the closure schedule for the rest of the State's atomic plants, as closing a nuclear power plant and preparing it for decommissioning requires human and technical resources that make it difficult for more than one closure to coincide at the same time.

Sources from the Ministry for Ecological Transition maintain that the closure of Almaraz in 2030 will have a very limited impact on electricity generation in Spain. "The closure of Almaraz does not compromise the objective of renewable energy penetration," indicate these sources, who add that the impact "will be very limited" because "the reduction in its contribution planned for 2030 will be just over 1%, a marginal percentage that does not significantly alter the country's energy transition path." It should be taken into account that nuclear generation contributes just over 19% of electricity production in the State, although in the case of Catalonia, with three reactors in operation, the situation is very different because nuclear generation contributes more than 56% of electricity.

The same ministerial sources indicate that the closure in 2030 will not compromise supply security and, moreover, will not have any cost for citizens, because although the electricity companies had requested tax reductions for the plants, "no tax reduction or economic compensation is granted to the electricity companies".

PP's Criticisms

The president of the Junta de Extremadura, María Guardiola, has celebrated the decision made by the Spanish government, which, as she pointed out, "gives certainty to a region" and "protects thousands of jobs". In a message published on social networks, Guardiola stated that with the continuity of the plant, "an essential part" of Extremadura "will continue to beat" and highlighted the "fundamental" role of the plant "for the lives of so many towns and families that depend on it".

However, from her party, the PP, criticism of the Spanish government has not been spared. Núñez Feijoo's party, aligned with large employers' associations, advocates for nuclear energy. For the PP, extending Almaraz's life is "an acknowledgment of the failure" of Pedro Sánchez's government's energy policy. Furthermore, the PP has accused the Spanish government of correcting itself and doing so "stealthily, on a Friday the 14th of August, publishing it in the BOE and without announcing it beforehand".

For the PP, the "mini-extension" is "a patch on Sánchez's ideological management" which, as in other aspects, goes against the EU states". For the PP, the government has deceived citizens because it knew that Almaraz could not be closed and asks for the entire nuclear closure calendar to be canceled.

Sumar distances itself

For its part, Sumar, the minority partner in the Spanish government, has shown its displeasure with the decision. "We show our absolute disagreement," sources from the party have said. Extending Almaraz's life "is a decision in the service of the oligopoly that hinders the energy transition and mortgages citizens," party sources have indicated, who consider that maintaining nuclear energy "obeys corporate pressures and not technical, environmental or economic competitiveness needs."