location and⁢ Distances

Almaraz is located 175 km (approximately 108 miles) from Portalegre and 160⁢ km (approximately 99 miles) from⁣ Castelo Branco, both of which are national district capitals in central Portugal.

Political⁣ Context in Spain

The planned closure of nuclear power plants in Spain has⁤ become a meaningful ⁤political issue. While the PSOE government supports the closures,opposition parties advocate for maintaining them,particularly following the Iberian blackout ⁤on April 28th.

Ownership and ⁤Capacity

Iberdrola is the largest shareholder in the Almaraz plant,holding 53% of ‍the shares. Endesa and Naturgy each hold 36%.

The Almaraz I reactor is scheduled to close in November 2027, and Almaraz II in October 2028,⁢ according to a protocol established in 2019. The plant has a total capacity of 1.5 gigawatts, ⁢with Iberdrola’s share being 550 MW.

Negotiations and Concerns

Negotiations between Endesa and ⁤the Spanish government, led by Pedro Sanchez, to postpone the closure are ⁢currently ⁢stalled, according to Endesa President José ‘Pepe’ Bogas. Bogas expressed optimism for reaching⁤ an agreement‍ but highlighted the lack of readiness of temporary waste warehouses (ATI),⁣ which were promised in 2019.

Bogas argued that closing Almaraz “makes no sense,” suggesting a complete shutdown in either 2027 or 2028 is the only logical path forward, aligning with the existing gradual⁢ closure protocol.

Environmental Perspectives

portuguese environmental organizations have welcomed the confirmation of the ⁢closure timeline. Geota⁣ Sequeira, from the Territory and⁤ Environment Study ⁢Group, stated that ⁣the ⁢plant is one of the oldest ‍nuclear centers in Spain, operating for ⁤approximately 45 years, increasing the risk of operational breaks and malfunctions.