Spain shuts old boiling water reactor

From Energy Market Price: Santa Maria de Garoña is one of the eight nuclear reactors operating in Spain and it was closed under an order issued by the Industry and Energy Ministry amid economic reasons. The 446 MWe boiling water reactor at Garoña entered into operation in 1971 and was allowed to operate until 2019 given certain technical upgrades. However, four years ago the Spanish government issued an operating licence lasting only until 5 July 2013. Despite a change in government, the nuclear power plant operator Nuclenor did not apply for a new licence mainly due to a new tax regime including new charges for electricity generation and used nuclear fuel which would have cost Garoña about €150 million ($192 million) each year, about 30% of the its revenue. This is too much if combined with the amount of €120 million ($154 million) in upgrades required to operate until 2019. The reactor was dismantled in mid-December 2012 to avoid a full year of retroactive tax charges.