Coal announcements that changed the game in 2024

While coal-fired power continues to be part of our energy mix, several announcements were made in 2024 signalling that coal is no longer king and cleaner alternatives are being sought.

Here are five of those announcements:

1 - UK’s last coal-fired power plant closes its doors for the final time

Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, near Nottingham UK, closed its doors for the last time on 30 September 2024, marking the closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power plant.

The announcement was made by plant owner Uniper, which confirmed the power station would cease operating at midnight. The plant began generating power in 1967 and according to the Uniper release, has produced enough energy to make more than 21 trillion cups of tea since commissioning.

2 - Ørsted shuts down Esbjerg coal-fired power station

On 31 August 2024 Danish energy company Ørsted shut down its last coal-fired combined heat and power plant, Esbjerg Power Station, located in the Western part of Denmark.

The yearly consumption of coal at Esbjerg Power Station has been approximately 500,000 tonnes, which is equivalent to approximately 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

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3 - Fossil fuel generation in Europe falls to lowest level on record shows report

Fossil fuel-led electricity generation in Europe fell to its lowest-ever level in the second quarter of this year, according to a new report from energy data analyst Montel Analytics.

The quarter was also characterised by record-high solar generation, the largest wind output ever seen in a second quarter, and generally high renewable generation which caused an increased number of negative day-ahead prices across Europe.

4 - Researchers identify US plants fit for coal-to-nuclear transition

The University of Michigan has released the findings of a study, which they are calling the “most comprehensive coal-to-nuclear analysis to date”.

The study, Investigation of potential sites for coal-to-nuclear energy transitions in the United States, ranks the feasibility of converting 245 operational coal power plants in the US into advanced nuclear reactors, a strategy being considered by electric utilities and the Department of Energy.

5 - EPA leans on carbon capture as it releases final power plant pollution rules

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced final rules to crack down on emissions from coal-fired and new natural gas-fired power plants.

The highly-anticipated announcement outlined a suite of measures aimed at reducing air, water and land pollution from the power sector. As the sector makes long-term investments in the transition to clean energy, EPA said the rules are designed to work with power companies’ planning processes. Regulators say they project the rules will result in reductions of 1.38 billion metric tonnes of carbon pollution overall through 2047.