Spain’s biggest nuclear plant faces closure, stirring fears in village that depends on it

In the western Spanish village of Almaraz, uncertainty over the future of the country’s largest nuclear power plant hangs heavily over daily life.

The Almaraz nuclear facility, which generates about seven percent of Spain’s electricity, is scheduled to begin shutting down in 2028 under the government’s plan to phase out all nuclear reactors by 2035.

But last year’s nationwide blackout and fuel supply disruptions linked to conflict in the Middle East have reignited debate over the phase-out, reflecting a broader European rethink on nuclear energy.

“It’s sad that they want to shut it down,” said Jose Antonio Morgado, a 59-year-old mechanic who has worked seasonal refueling operations at the plant since 1989.

Every year, during reactor refueling, Morgado joins hundreds of temporary workers who assist the plant’s roughly 800 permanent staff. The work can pay as much as €6,000 ($7,000) a month — a major source of income in one of Spain’s poorest regions.

Those jobs could vanish if Spain sticks to plans announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government in 2019, which call for the plant’s first reactor to close in 2027 and the second in 2028 as part of the country’s shift toward renewable energy.

The three energy firms that own Almaraz had initially accepted the timeline, but now argue the reactors should remain operational until 2030 to bolster energy security and help contain electricity prices. The government is expected to make a final decision by October.

‘It would become a desert’

In Almaraz, a village of around 1,500 people surrounded by rolling countryside, business owners fear the economic fallout.

“It would be a desert here,” said David Martin, 32, who runs a restaurant his parents opened in the 1980s alongside the plant’s development.

During refueling periods, Martin serves up to 260 meals a day. In slower months, that number drops to around 80.

Without the plant, he estimates revenue would fall by nearly half, forcing him to lay off six of his 12 employees.

The looming closure has sparked local activism.

Last year, residents launched “Si a Almaraz, Si al Futuro” (Yes to Almaraz, Yes to the Future), a grassroots campaign urging the government to rethink its timeline.

The group’s leader, Fernando Sanchez Castilla — a longtime plant employee and mayor of a nearby village — says closure would devastate dozens of surrounding communities.

“This is the region’s main industry,” he said, estimating the plant accounts for around five percent of the economic output of Extremadura and supports about 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Clash over Spain’s energy future

Patricia Rubio Oviedo, head of Almaraz’s technical operations office, said the plant could safely continue operating for years.

“Nuclear energy is essential in the energy mix,” she said, arguing it provides reliable baseload power unlike renewables such as wind and solar, which depend on weather conditions.

The European Commission has urged member states to avoid shutting viable nuclear facilities too quickly as Europe seeks to cut fossil fuel dependence and strengthen energy independence.

Still, Sanchez’s government remains committed to its green transition goals.

Spain aims to raise the share of electricity generated from renewable sources to 81 percent by 2030, up from about 60 percent today, leveraging the country’s strong solar, wind and hydroelectric potential.

“The government has to be brave. It cannot change its mind because its credibility is at stake,” said Francisco del Pozo Campos, spokesperson for Greenpeace Spain.

He argued extending Almaraz’s operation until 2030 would increase costs for consumers and jeopardize an estimated €26 billion in renewable energy investment.

Spain’s ecological transition ministry says it is preparing support measures for affected workers, including retraining programs tied to a planned electric vehicle battery factory nearby.

For many locals, however, those promises offer little reassurance.

“If these families leave, what will be left for us?” Martin asked, looking across his nearly full restaurant.