Gas tops €82/MWh: Almaraz nuclear plant runs to 2030

Gas prices have risen above €82/MWh, almost three times the level at the start of the year. On 15 September in Madrid, Energy Secretary Joan Groizard defended Spain’s decision to keep the Almaraz nuclear power station in Extremadura running until 2030.

He told a parliamentary commission investigating the 28 April 2025 power outage that the Middle East conflict had brought unexpected pressure to global energy markets. Gas had started the year below €30/MWh.

A limited extension as energy crisis bites

Groizard said the disruption could last for months while the Strait of Hormuz reopens and damaged energy infrastructure is repaired. Even after a resolution to the conflict, he said, the effects could continue for roughly 20 or 30 months.

Keeping Almaraz open is intended to cushion Spanish consumers against price surges that were not included in earlier planning. The government says it will continue investing in and speeding up renewable energy, which Groizard described as Spain’s main protection against reliance on energy from abroad.

The move applies only to Almaraz. It does not change Spain’s planned final exit from nuclear power in 2035 or alter the closure timetable for other plants. Almaraz had already been granted an extension to 2027, putting it in a different position from the rest of the fleet.

Other reactors still face their own checks

Groizard said the decision should not be treated as a model for other reactors, which will each undergo their own assessments. He also said the extension does not generally alter the cost of the energy system.

The effect on renewable generation by 2030 will be only 1.4%, according to Groizard. Almaraz’s role in running the electricity grid is also limited, he said: nuclear power cannot smooth out swings in the system and is not especially effective at rapidly adjusting voltage.

Before approving the extension, the government carried out internal analysis and sought reports from Red Eléctrica, Enresa and the Nuclear Safety Council. Groizard said he did not expect major problems from overlap between reactor closures and dismantling work, noting that dismantling takes time.

Topics: Social affairs · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com