The Government gives green light to the operation of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant at least until June 2030

According to the order published this Friday in the Official State Gazette (BOE), the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco) has renewed the operating authorization for the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant for Units I and II. This decision will allow both reactors of the Extremaduran plant to continue operating at least until June 8, 2030.

The Ministry's decision also puts an end to a process that officially began in October 2025, when the three owners of the plant, Iberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy, agreed to formally request the extension. The closure of its two reactors was initially estimated for November 1, 2027, for Unit I and October 31, 2028, for Unit II, in accordance with the protocol established at the time by Enresa and the energy companies. Furthermore, according to the ministerial order, the operating extension will be subject to strict compliance with the safety conditions and instructions dictated by the CSN.

The Nuclear Safety Council already issued a positive report on July 16 regarding the requested renewal, conditioned on compliance with the limits and requirements for nuclear safety and radiological protection now included in the order. The file was sent to the Government, opening a period for the Executive to make a definitive decision on its continuity, after the CSN's pronouncement.

Finally, the Ministry also justifies the decision by the new international energy context and the volatility of gas prices originated from the crisis in the Middle East. According to the calculations included in the resolution, maintaining Almaraz until 2030 would have a "limited and insignificant" effect on renewable deployment and would contribute to reducing gas dependence.

Almaraz seguirá abierta hasta 2030. Y con ella, seguirá latiendo una parte esencial de nuestra tierra.

Una decisión que da certidumbre a una comarca, que protege miles de empleos y que mantiene en Extremadura una actividad que durante décadas ha sido fundamental para la vida de…

— María Guardiola (@MGuardiolaM) August 14, 2026

The president of the Junta de Extremadura, María Guardiola, published a tweet this morning related to this whole issue. Her main message was that, "Almaraz will remain open until 2030. And with it, an essential part of our land will continue to beat," emphasizing it with pride. In her message, she also wanted to add that "today justice is done with a plant that is an inseparable part of the history and development of Extremadura." Finally, she thanked the struggle and unity of the people of Extremadura.