Iberdrola leaves the continuity of Almaraz until 2030 in the hands of the Government: “It depends solely on them”

The president of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, assured this Tuesday that the continuity of the Almaraz nuclear power plant beyond the planned closure schedule It now depends “solely on the Government”. In a conference with analysts to present the results for the first nine months of the year, the manager maintained that there are no “technical limitations” that prevent extending the useful life of the plant, whose dismantling was scheduled to begin in 2027.

Galán has stated that the final decision “corresponds to the Government’s energy policy”, and pointed out that the Executive “will have to make the decision and explain the consequences.” The leader has defended that “socially there is a demand, economically it is the best solution, and, in terms of the operation of the system, it is needed to keep the service fully operational.”

In his speech, the president of Iberdrola also highlighted that in recent times there has been “a trend, both from different political parties and civil society, asking that nuclear power plants be kept in operation, out of social responsibility and because this energy is necessary to keep the lights on in the country, providing a safe and cheap service.” Along these lines, the head of the electricity company has stressed that the three owners of the Almaraz plant – Iberdrola (53%), Endesa (36%) and Naturgy (11%) – “They have asked the Government to give continuity to the plant.”

“Nuclear energy is safe and necessary, and I believe that it is needed much more than before, even to avoid possible blackouts or possible problems that could affect the service,” he insisted. According to Galán, the two Almaraz reactors could operate until 2030 “without having to request any type of national or international license to continue.” The protocol signed in 2019 between the owner companies and Enresa (the public company in charge of radioactive waste management) established un calendar for the progressive closure of the Spanish nuclear park between 2027 and 2035starting with the first Almaraz reactor.

In parallel with the debate on the future of the Almaraz nuclear power plant, Iberdrola presented results this Tuesday that show its financial solidity in a good place. As reported to the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), the company closed the first nine months of the year with a net profit of 5,307 million euroswhich represents an increase of 17% excluding capital gains from the divestment of part of its assets in Mexico. The multinational has also broken its investment record, with 9 billion euros mainly aimed at growth in United Kingdom and United Statesits two main expansion markets.