The fourth Spanish nuclear power plant: Almaraz I and II

This site is on the Almaraz de Tajo area in Cáceres. The land owned by the site has a span of 1,683 hectares, in the municipalities of Almaraz, Saucedilla, Serrejón and Romangordo.

How the idea came about

The Project for the Almaraz nuclear power plant was undertaken during the seventies and ended in the beginning of the eighties, thanks to three large electric companies: Hidroeléctrica Española, Sevillana de Electricidad and Unión Eléctrica Madrileña in equal proportions. Currently, after the reordering process of the electric sector, its owners are Iberdrola, (52,687%), Endesa (36,021%) and Unión Fenosa (11,292%) which is at present Gas Natural Fenosa SDG. On May 10, 1973, the site’s first reinforced concrete block was placed in the location of Unit I’s containment building, and two years later its cupola was closed. For Unit II, equivalent dates are September 1973 and July 1976. This interval saw the progression of civil works, including the turbine buildings and the reservoir for the cooling pond, followed by the assembly, testing and launch stages.

81% of the total construction and equipment assembly at Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant was carried out by Spanish companies. Unit I entered commercial service on May 1^st 1981; Unit II did so on October 8^th , 1983. The Almaraz site is conceived as a base plant; that is, its operation is uninterrupted, and it is capable of ensuring a yearly supply of 16 billion kWh.

Site characteristics

The Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant has two pressurized light water reactors of 2,686 thermal MW, each of them with three cooling circuits. Their construction is 80% Spanish. Both units use as fuel slightly enriched uranium oxide, and their electric power is 977 MW and 980 MW respectively. The Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant is property of Iberdrola by 53%, Endesa by 36% and Unión Fenosa by 11%.