May 5, 2025
Approval granted for the expansion of Garoña's used fuel storage.
Spain's nuclear regulator has authorized the expansion of the interim dry storage facility for spent fuel at the Garoña nuclear power plant, which has been shut down since 2012. This expansion is necessary to meet the plant's fuel storage requirements during its decommissioning process.
The Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) approved, with conditions, the application from Enresa, the plant's operator. The application included a design change to increase the capacity of the Individualised Temporary Storage Facility (ATI) and relevant updates to the Safety Study and Technical Operating Specifications.
Additionally, the CSN approved a revision of the radioactive waste and used fuel management plan for the plant, which is in Phase 1 of decommissioning.
The ATI facility at Garoña, consisting of two concrete slabs, was completed in 2017. It facilitates dry and temporary storage of dual-purpose metal containers designed for used fuel loading and transport to the proposed Centralised Temporary Storage Facility (ATC). The first used fuel was placed in the ATI in July 2022, with the full transfer expected by 2027.
The Garoña plant, which has a 446 MWe boiling water reactor, began operations in 1971 and was deemed fit for operation until 2019 after certain technical upgrades.
However, in September 2012, the operator Nuclenor failed to submit a renewal application for the operating license by the deadline, resulting in the plant's closure when the license expired on 6 July 2013. To avoid incurring a full year of retroactive tax charges, the reactor was closed by mid-December 2012.
In May 2020, Enresa applied to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge for the transfer of ownership of Garoña and the first phase of its dismantling, which was completed in July 2023.
The dismantling of Garoña is expected to take around 10 years, using an immediate dismantling strategy in two phases.
Phase 1 will involve loading spent fuel into containers and transferring it from the storage pool to the onsite interim storage facility. This phase also includes dismantling the turbine building in preparation for Phase 2.
Phase 2 will focus on dismantling the reactor and other buildings with radiological implications, along with decontamination, declassification activities, building demolition, and environmental restoration of the site.
The Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) approved, with conditions, the application from Enresa, the plant's operator. The application included a design change to increase the capacity of the Individualised Temporary Storage Facility (ATI) and relevant updates to the Safety Study and Technical Operating Specifications.
Additionally, the CSN approved a revision of the radioactive waste and used fuel management plan for the plant, which is in Phase 1 of decommissioning.
The ATI facility at Garoña, consisting of two concrete slabs, was completed in 2017. It facilitates dry and temporary storage of dual-purpose metal containers designed for used fuel loading and transport to the proposed Centralised Temporary Storage Facility (ATC). The first used fuel was placed in the ATI in July 2022, with the full transfer expected by 2027.
The Garoña plant, which has a 446 MWe boiling water reactor, began operations in 1971 and was deemed fit for operation until 2019 after certain technical upgrades.
However, in September 2012, the operator Nuclenor failed to submit a renewal application for the operating license by the deadline, resulting in the plant's closure when the license expired on 6 July 2013. To avoid incurring a full year of retroactive tax charges, the reactor was closed by mid-December 2012.
In May 2020, Enresa applied to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge for the transfer of ownership of Garoña and the first phase of its dismantling, which was completed in July 2023.
The dismantling of Garoña is expected to take around 10 years, using an immediate dismantling strategy in two phases.
Phase 1 will involve loading spent fuel into containers and transferring it from the storage pool to the onsite interim storage facility. This phase also includes dismantling the turbine building in preparation for Phase 2.
Phase 2 will focus on dismantling the reactor and other buildings with radiological implications, along with decontamination, declassification activities, building demolition, and environmental restoration of the site.