https://www.miningweekly.com

Regulator blocks Berkeley Energia's uranium mine

13th July 2021

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

Spain's nuclear regulator on Monday blocked Berkeley Energia's planned uranium mine in the west of the country on safety concerns, in a move that was welcomed by environmental campaigners and sent the company's stock plunging.

The CSN regulator said it took the decision due to a lack of reliability and a high level of uncertainty over how radioactive waste would be stored at the facility.

The London-headquartered company, whose Madrid-listed shares slumped over 12% to 0.34 euros, said in a statement it refuted the CSN's assessment and was disappointed with the decision.

"The Company will strongly defend its position and will immediately consider the range of legal options available to it," it said.

The Stop Uranio environmental protection group, which has been campaigning against the mine's development, welcomed the decision.

"After a decade of mobilising, we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel with a decision based around technical criteria," it said.

Berkeley's Retortillo project in the western region of Salamanca received preliminary approval in early 2013 but has since faced local opposition.

Reuters reported in 2018 that the government would not grant Berkeley the necessary permits to operate.

The company had said the mine would run for 14 years, generating investment of over 250 million euros ($297 million)and more than 2,500 jobs in the region.

Edited by Reuters

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION