French Government plans to shut down remaining coal-fired power plants

• 5 years ago (2019-04-02)
• David Flin

Coal 296 Europe 1089

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French Ecology Minister Francois de Rugy said that the French power grid operator RTE is soon to publish a report that will layout a roadmap for shutting down France’s four remaining coal-fired power plants by 2022. The plants have a combined installed capacity of around 3000 MW.

The French Government plans to halt the remaining coal-fired power plants operated by EDF and Uniper as part of its efforts to curb CO2 emissions. The minister had asked RTE for an additional analysis into France’s energy needs and security of power supply before a decision this summer on whether to allow a planned conversion of EDF’s 1200 MW Cordemais plant into biomass power generation. De Rugy said: “The RTE report will show us the possible ways to close the coal-fired plants by 2022.” He added that the Government had also asked the State Council, France’s highest administrative court, to look at secured legal pathways for the shutdown of the coal-fired power plants operated by the companies.