The current operating licence for the nuclear power plant located at L'Hospitalet del Infant near Tarragona expires at the end of the month.

The plant, which belongs to Spanish utility Endesa, began operating in August 1987.

Spain has eight nuclear reactors at six power plants which generate about a fifth of its electricity.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, a socialist, vowed during general elections in 2004 and 2008 to gradually phase out nuclear power when the lifespan of the country's six nuclear plants expired.

He pledged the country would focus instead on the development of renewable energy like solar and wind power.

But in July 2009 the government said it would extend the operating licence for the country's oldest nuclear reactor, the Garona plant in northern Spain, for another two years until July 2013, reversing its policy of gradually phasing out nuclear power.

Support for nuclear energy waned in Europe after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine raised safety concerns over the energy source.

But oil-price volatility and growing concerns over the environmental impact of carbon emissions has led many nations like Britain and Germany to ease their anti-nuclear stance in recent years.

earlier related report
Spanish pilots oppose use of military traffic controllers
Madrid (AFP) July 21, 2010 - Spain's pilots' union opposed Wednesday the use of the military to replace air traffic controllers on sick leave, as proposed by government to undermine what it suspects is an undercover strike.

It would be difficult to maintain "the same capacity and the same levels of security" if the measure were adopted because military and commercial air traffic controllers follow "completely different" rules, Copac representative Gustavo Barba told public radio RNE.

Transport Minister Jose Blanco said Tuesday that the government would "in exceptional situations" employ military air traffic controllers to ensure flights go ahead.

He also announced an investigation into the sick leave taken in the past few days by almost half the air traffic control staff at the control centre in Barcelona, causing delays to dozens of flights.

Blanco said Wednesday that military controllers already worked at some airports used by both civilian and military aircraft.

"They are already ready, and if not, they can be trained. If they are already prepared, they are in a position to do the job and this can be done," he told radio Onda Cero.

The situation appeared to have returned to normal on Wednesday with 13 out of the 61 air traffic controllers who were scheduled to work at Barcelona's airport away on sick leave, a spokeswoman for airport management company AENA told AFP.

The only delayed or cancelled flights have been due to a strike by air traffic controllers in neighbouring France, she added.

The union representing Spain's air traffic controllers, USCA, on Wednesday again denied that an undercover strike was under way and said using military air traffic controllers would be "imprudent" and "dangerous".

Training would be given to military air controllers before the end of the month, Secretary of State for Transport Concepcion Gutierrez said Tuesday.

In February the Spanish government put an end to what it described as the "incomprehensible privileges" of air traffic controllers, including their high rates of pay and benefits.

At the beginning of this month, the air traffic controllers union and Aena resumed negotiations over a collective agreement.

The staff shortages have affected the airports in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands that include tourist hot-spots Majorca and Ibiza.

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