Company ‘remains hopeful’ issues can be resolved
Spain’s energy ministry has upheld its refusal to authorise a uranium mine near the western city of Salamanca, Berkeley Energia said.
Berkeley said it was prepared to work with the Spanish authorities and remained hopeful the row could be resolved through negotiation, rather than international arbitration.
The Retortillo uranium project in the Salamanca region, Berkeley’s main asset, received a preliminary approval in 2013 but has since run into hurdles, including opposition from nearby communities and safety concerns from regulatory authorities.
Berkeley had appealed against an initial rejection in 2021 and alleged the Spanish government had not followed legally established procedure, but the appeal was rejected, it said.
Spain’s energy ministry did not comment, referring to a 2021 statement on the original rejection, where it cited a negative opinion issued by the Nuclear Safety Council highlighting “poor reliability and high uncertainty of the safety analyses of the radioactive site”.
The Salamanca mine is the biggest of its kind in Europe and the only major uranium mine in the world to start initial construction in recent years.
According to Berkeley Energia, the Retortillo project could produce 4.4 million pounds of uranium a year at its peak during its planned 14 years of operation, although the company is searching for more deposits and that lifetime could yet be extended.
First uranium production had originally been expected in the middle of 2019 following about 12 months of construction and six months of commissioning.
