Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Station, Nuclear power station in Alto Lucero de Gutiérrez Barrios Municipality, Mexico
Laguna Verde is a nuclear power station in Veracruz state, located about 70 kilometers northwest of the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico coast. The facility comprises two reactor units that sit on a flat coastal terrace surrounded by safety structures, cooling systems, and administrative buildings.
The first reactor unit was built starting in the mid-seventies and went online in 1990, while the second unit began construction just a year later and started producing power in 1995. Both units were developed at a time when Mexico sought to diversify its energy supply through nuclear generation and reduce dependence on oil imports.
The station takes its name from a nearby lagoon that once had a greenish tint, and it sits in a coastal region dotted with fishing villages and small farming communities. Local fishermen and farmers from surrounding settlements sometimes work at the facility or in the service businesses that have grown up around it over the years.
The site is not open to the public and remains heavily guarded for security reasons, so visitors can only view the outer areas from the coastal road. Travelers passing through the region should note that no tours or public access are available, and staff only allow entry to authorized personnel.
In 2020, the first reactor unit received a 30-year license extension allowing it to generate power until 2050, making it one of the longest approved operating periods for a reactor in Latin America. This extension means the facility is expected to be used for almost 80 years, which is exceptionally long for a nuclear plant in the region.
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