Almaraz nuclear power plant resumes electricity generation after completing its 29th fuel reload
- Almaraz has formally requested authorisation to continue operating until 2030
The Almaraz nuclear power plant, located in Cáceres (Extremadura), was reconnected to the electricity network on Thursday 13 November after completing the work for its 29th fuel reload. This marks the start of a new operating cycle, the 30th. It is the eighth consecutive reload with no workplace accidents and with all scheduled maintenance and technology upgrade tasks completed. To carry out the planned activities, more than 1,000 additional workers joined the regular workforce, most of them from the surrounding area of the plant and from around 70 specialised partner companies.
On 30 October, the Board of Administrators and the General Assembly of Members of Centrales Nucleares Almaraz-Trillo, A.I.E. officially requested that the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) modify the operating licence for the plant’s two units, extending their operation until June 2030. Almaraz is rated level one for excellence by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) and meets all requirements of the Periodic Safety Review approved by the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) in 2020, which remains valid until 2030.
The Almaraz nuclear power plant and its socioeconomic importance in Extremadura
The Almaraz nuclear power plant is a key facility that supplies more than 7% of the electricity consumed in Spain, an amount equivalent to four million homes. This is made possible by the work and commitment of the roughly 4,000 people employed directly or indirectly in the plant’s area of influence, as well as the additional 1,000 workers who join during each reload. The plant is the main socioeconomic driver of its surrounding area and one of the largest industrial facilities in Extremadura, generating long-term, highly skilled jobs and acting as a catalyst for other industries.
Learn more about the completion of Almaraz’s twenty-ninth reload in the press release published on its website.
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