Santa María de Garoña Nuclear Power Plant, Decommissioned nuclear power plant in Valle de Tobalina, Spain
Santa María de Garoña is a decommissioned nuclear power plant in Valle de Tobalina situated along the Ebro River. The facility housed a boiling water reactor with 466 megawatts of installed capacity and served as a major energy infrastructure project for Spain.
Construction began in 1966, making it Spain's second nuclear installation as the country entered nuclear energy production. The facility operated until 2013, when the decommissioning process began.
The power station generated extensive discussions about nuclear energy policies in Spain, leading to protests and debates about environmental safety.
The site is not openly accessible to the public and lies in a rural area of Valle de Tobalina. Visitors should check ahead whether guided tours or limited viewing is available, as decommissioning work continues.
The plant was among Spain's earliest nuclear facilities and played a role in national energy debates during the 1970s and 1980s. Its decommissioning has served as a case study for safe radioactive material disposal in Europe.
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