The State gives the go-ahead for the extension of the Almaraz nuclear power plant until 2030

BarcelonaThe Almaraz nuclear power plant buys time. The Spanish government authorized this Friday the extension of the useful life of its two reactors after a 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 derived from the conflict in the Middle East and the continuation of the war in Ukraine". Thus, from the Spanish government, they point out that the measure has been taken in view of the "volatility" and "uncertainty" of the current geopolitical context and indicate that "the conjunctural extension may contribute to moderating consumers' exposure to unforeseen peaks in fossil fuel prices".

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 small proportion of the average projected 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.