Following a proposal from Spain’s Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Ecological Transformation and Demographic Challenges announced approval of the General Plan for Radioactive Waste Management (PGRR). The decision rejects building the Central Temporary Storage facility (ATC) and sets a schedule to close existing nuclear power plants between 2027 and 2035. It also outlines a potential cost of €20.2 billion to the owners of atomic facilities.
Management also approved a move to cancel the Villar de Cañas site in Cuenca as the ATC hosting location, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges (Ministry statement cited). The seventh PGRR outlines government policy on handling radioactive waste, including spent nuclear fuel, as well as dismantling and decommissioning nuclear installations.
Completion of nuclear power plants postponed in Spain
Regarding reactor shutdowns, the sixth PGRR originally set a window from 2021 to 2028. The new plan extends that window to 2027–2035. It also promotes beginning dismantling work three years after definitive cessation of activity, with one exception: Vandellós I, halted since 1989 after a serious accident, will see its final phase carried out starting in 2030.
Under the proposed approach, the ATC is replaced by seven Decentralized Temporary Repositories (ATD) placed at current nuclear plant sites to hold spent fuel and high-level waste until a final storage solution is ready.
Each ATD will include an Individual Interim Storage (ATI) component plus an additional installation or measures to support maintenance of containers holding spent fuel when a facility is no longer operational. The plan also calls for ongoing expansion of ATI capacity. As in the sixth plan, plants may continue operating and progressively dismantle the facilities for spent fuel handling.
Additionally, the option to establish a final, deep geological repository (DGR) for spent fuel and high-activity waste is being considered. This aligns with provisions already outlined in the sixth waste plan, according to the Ministry.
The seventh plan, titled A Roadmap for Spain to achieve a Deep Geological Repository, lays out a framework for providing initial information and conducting public consultations. This mirrors processes used in other European nations that have identified AGP locations, including Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and France, as noted by the Ministry.
The plan also envisions maintaining the storage center El Cabril (Cordoba) until dismantling of the facilities is completed according to the sixth plan, covering medium, low, and very low activity wastes.
Work on the seventh plan began in 2020. It introduces a strategic environmental assessment with a public information and consultation phase and has been reviewed by the Nuclear Security Council (CSN) and the autonomous communities. It replaces the 2006 plan, which was due for updates in 2015.
The Ministry confirms that the plan aligns with Spain’s National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030 (PNIEC), which charts the country’s path toward European climate and energy targets, and with the Protocol on the orderly cessation of nuclear power plant operations, signed in March 2019 between Enresa and plant owners.
Regarding the projected cost of €20.2 billion, funding will come from the PGRR Financing Fund, managed by Enresa with contributions from the owners of the nuclear facilities, following the polluter pays principle. The government will inform the Cortes and the European Commission that the plan has been approved.