Spain - World Nuclear Outlook Report
Current operations
Spain has seven operable nuclear reactors, Almaraz 1&2, Ascó 1&2, Cofrentes, Trillo and Vandellós 2, providing around one-fifth of its electricity. The country has a policy to phase out nuclear power by 2035.
Under the phase-out schedule, Almaraz 1&2 were due to close in 2027 and 2028 respectively. In August 2026 the government granted the renewal of the operating licence for the Almaraz plant until June 2030. The other reactors are scheduled to close in 2030 (Ascó 1 and Cofrentes), 2032 (Ascó 2) and 2035 (Vandellós 2 and Trillo).
Table Es.1 Nuclear capacity status (as of 1 October 2026)
| Operable reactors | Operable reactors net capacity (MWe) | Operable reactors gross capacity (MWe) | Reactors under construction | Reactors under construction gross capacity (MWe) | Cumulative carbon dioxide emissions avoided 1970-2025 (cf. coal) (MtCO2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 7123 | 7408 | - | - | 2180 |
Nuclear policy and outlook
In February 2025 the Plenary Session of the Congress, the lower house of Spain’s legislative branch, voted narrowly in favour of calling on the government to reverse the phase-out decision. The non-binding proposal urged the government to extend the operating lifetimes of the existing reactors in line with guidance from the Nuclear Safety Council (CSN) and technical and economic criteria.
In August 2026 the Ministry for Ecological Transition granted the licence renewal to 2030 for Almaraz 1 and 2, stating that the limited and temporary extension reflected uncertainty in international energy markets caused by the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. The government said that the decision does not alter the 2035 closure date for the nuclear fleet as a whole, and the extension has prompted further debate within the governing coalition.
Readiness Assessment
Spain has a mature nuclear sector and strong institutions, and all seven reactors remain in operation, with Almaraz now licensed to June 2030. National planning nonetheless remains based on the closure of the whole fleet by 2035 and contains no new build objective.
| Country Category | Maintainer |
|---|---|
| Policy Framework Readiness | Low Current national planning remains based on a 2035 phase-out of the whole fleet. |
| Institutional & Infrastructure Readiness | Moderate Spain has a mature independent regulator, experienced operators, nuclear fuel and heavy component manufacturing, research, waste management and decommissioning capabilities. |
| Programme & Project Development Readiness | Very Low No new reactors are planned. |
| Target Achievability | N/A In the WNOR comparative framework this refers to future nuclear deployment. Spain currently has no new build capacity target, and the existing fleet is currently planned to close by 2035. |
