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Uranium in Spain
In recent days, some political forums have claimed that “there is no uranium in Spain.” Is this true?
As it turns out, Spain has significant uranium deposits and is one of the countries with the largest reserves in the European Union. This information seems to contradict the claim that “Spain has no uranium.”
Spain has approximately 28,500 tons of identified uranium reserves. Is that a lot or a little? This amount makes Spain’s reserves the second largest in the EU, behind only the Czech Republic, which has around 119,000 tons. Where is this uranium located? Mostly in the province of Salamanca, but also in Badajoz and Jaén.
I refer to “identified reserves,” which are confirmed reserves, because it is assumed that there is considerably more. However, that would be speculation. Focusing on the 28,500 tons would supply Spain’s nuclear fuel needs for many years. However, after recent legislative changes, it is as if they did not exist. Uranium mining in Spain began to meet the demand for material for the national nuclear program. Between the 1970s and 1980s, Spain reached its peak as a uranium producer, becoming the second-largest producer in Europe after France.
