Garoña nuclear plant to close next year

 

Yesteday afternoon the Spanish central government took the decision to close the Garoña nuclear plant near Burgos in 2013, blaming two power companies for failing to meet a deadline to ask that its operations be extended.

The July closing date had been originally set by Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, but during the election campaign Mariano Rajoy promised Burgos residents that he would keep Garoña in operation until 2019.

"Nothing was changed in terms of government policy," said Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría following Friday's Cabinet meeting. "It was the power companies that changed their plans."

The plant is owned in equal parts by Iberdrola and Endesa through their joint venture Nuclenor.