Berkeley signed a "phenomenal" US$120 million funding package with the Sultanate of Oman in August to take Salamanca to first production and has early site work underway.

In its recent quarterly report, Berkeley said locals, Spanish media and the regional government had welcomed the investment in a region suffering high unemployment.

"We are delighted to have received [job] applications from over 110 of the 400 permanent residents of the nearby village of Villavieja, which reflects the strength of the local support for the investment," managing director Paul Atherley said.

However Villavieja de Yeltes mayor Jorge Rodríguez told a press conference he was organising buses for this Saturday's protest, being organised by the council, the Stop Uranio platform and Salamanca Antinuclear collective, Spanish news agency EFE reported.

He said he was concerned about the project's proximity to the town and said "almost 40 municipalities" were opposed to the project.

Salamanca is expected to produce an average 4.4 million pounds of uranium a year over 10 years at a cash cost of US$13.30 per pound.