The Spanish Government has given power firms permission to expand the capacity of two nuclear reactors, as the country struggles to pay for its electricity.

The capacity of the reactors at the Almaraz plant in the western region of Extremadura will be increased by 70MW to 1050MW, according to the Expansion newspaper.

The Almaraz plant is owned by Iberdrola, Endesa and Gas Natural SDG.

In 2009, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero who is against nuclear energy, had ordered the Garona reactor to be shut down by 2013.