The Iberian Energy Observatory (OIE) reported on Monday the unscheduled shutdown of Reactor I of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant in Spain for technical reasons. The report came just days after the Spanish government formalized the extension of the facility's operating license until June 2030, reversing the initial plan for gradual decommissioning. The plant is located just 110 kilometers straight-line from the Portuguese border, along the Tagus River, near the districts of Castelo Branco and Portalegre.
The OIE strongly criticized the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), accusing it of "complacency" and of having stopped publicizing problems and incidents at Spanish nuclear power plants. The organization warned that the decision to extend the plant's useful life conflicts with the physical limits of materials and ongoing environmental changes, also citing climate change as a factor that motivates shutdowns.
The plant uses the waters of the Tagus River for its cooling systems, and Portuguese riverside municipalities, particularly in Vila Velha de Ródão, fear the biological and radiological consequences of any anomaly. The OIE censured the diplomatic passivity of Portuguese authorities, stating that no firm position from the Portuguese government is heard, nor is the monitoring of radiological impacts on the Tagus waters updated.
Faced with this situation, several environmental associations from Portugal and Spain confirmed that they will proceed "as soon as possible" to court to try to legally halt the continued operation at Almaraz. The OIE maintains that the agreed closure schedules should be maintained, warning that each day of operation represents another day of risk for the Tagus and for everyone.
