FACTBOX-Spain's veteran Garona nuclear plant

July 2 (Reuters) - Following are key facts about the Garona nuclear power station in Spain, which the government on Thursday said could operate for another four years:

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* By far the oldest remaining nuclear plant in Spain, its first permit was granted on Oct. 30, 1970, and has been in commercial operation since May 1971.

* The 40-year lifespan it was originally designed for expires in May 2011.

* It has an installed capacity, or the maximum power it is designed to produce, of 466 megawatts.

* It produces about 3,800 megawatt-hours of electricity a year, or 1.4 percent of total demand in Spain.

* Jointly owned by Spain's two largest power utilities, Iberdrola (IBE.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) and Endesa (ELE.MC: Quote, Profile, Research).

* Manufactured by General Electric (GE.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Garona has a boiling water reactor (BWR). Most of Spain's reactors are pressurised water reactors (PWR).

* Operators say they have invested 151 million euros in modernising Garona over the last decade and similar plants have been allowed to run for 60 years in the United States.