ONE of Spain’s biggest nuclear power plants will keep running until at least 2030, officials said, as the Middle East crisis fuels uncertainty in global energy markets.
Two reactors at the Almaraz plant in Caceres, western Spain, had been due to begin shutting down in 2027 and 2028, but will now remain operational until June 8, 2030.
The government said the decision was necessary because the conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global energy markets, driving up gas prices and creating uncertainty over fossil fuel supplies.
Officials said keeping Almaraz open would help shield consumers from unexpected spikes in energy prices while reducing Spain’s reliance on gas-fired power generation.
The extension was approved by the Ministry for Ecological Transition after Spain’s nuclear safety watchdog gave the plant a favourable assessment last month.
The Nuclear Safety Council said the facility meets the necessary safety requirements to continue operating, so long as it continues to comply with nuclear and radiation protection measures.
The plant’s two reactors, located in Extremadura, were originally scheduled to close on November 1, 2027, and October 31, 2028, respectively.
The decision was welcomed by the plant’s three owners – Iberdrola, Endesa and Naturgy – which formally requested an extension last year.
The companies had initially considered seeking a 10-year extension, but ultimately settled on keeping the reactors open until 2030.
The government said the move would not alter Spain’s wider plan to phase out nuclear power, with the country’s remaining reactors still scheduled to shut down by 2035.
It also insisted the extension would come at no additional cost to taxpayers, with no tax cuts or financial compensation being offered to the plant’s owners.
The government said extending Almaraz would have only a limited impact on the expansion of renewable energy, while also helping to reduce natural gas generation.
Nuclear power currently accounts for around one-fifth of Spain’s electricity generation, according to government figures.
Almaraz alone produces roughly 7% of the country’s annual electricity demand – enough to supply around four million homes.
The plant also prevents an estimated six million tonnes of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere each year, according to its operator.
However, the decision has sparked a political row within Spain’s left-wing coalition.
Sumar, the junior partner in prime minister Pedro Sanchez’s government, has rejected the extension and accused Sanchez’s socialist PSOE party of breaking their coalition agreement.
Environmental groups have also criticised the move, arguing that keeping the ageing plant open could undermine Spain’s transition towards renewable energy.
The government, however, has described the extension as a temporary measure prompted by the ‘exceptional’ international energy situation.
It insisted Spain remained committed to expanding renewable energy and maintaining its target of ending nuclear power generation by 2035.
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