The Republic of Ireland has become the latest country to withdraw coal-fired power from its electricity mix fully.
On Friday (20 June), it was confirmed that the country’s last coal-fired power plant, the 915MW Moneypoint Power Station in County Clare, had ceased coal-generation operations.
This made Ireland the fifteenth European country to withdraw from coal-fired power fully. Beyond Fossil Fuels, a green campaign organisation, stated that it expects Spain and Italy to follow suit.
Although coal-fired generation has been fully withdrawn, ESB, the plant’s owner, and EirGrid penned a deal in 2023 that will keep Moneypoint available to generate on oil from 2025 to 2029. ESB said this will only operate when the electricity system lacks capacity.
Moneypoint is also being transformed into a renewable energy hub. The transition started in 2017 with the development of a 17MW onshore wind power plant.
In 2021, plans were expanded for the station to become a larger renewable energy hub, harnessing its deep-water port and existing infrastructure. The core of this would be a 1.4GW Moneypoint floating offshore wind plant.
The site is also planned to become a centre for the construction and assembly of floating wind turbines, helping generate more clean energy jobs in the region.
Paddy Hayes, ESB’s chief executive, believes the end of coal generation is an important milestone for transitioning Ireland’s grid to clean energy.
“It is a significant step in Moneypoint’s transformation into a renewable energy hub, supporting a low-carbon future while continuing to support energy security. Moneypoint, the teams working here, and the communities across West Clare have been at the heart of powering Ireland’s electricity system for the best part of 40 years so far – and I would like to thank all those who have played a part in that,” Hayes said.
Readers of Current± are likely aware that the UK’s last coal-fired power plant, Uniper’s 2,000MW Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire, ceased operations in September 2024.
Coal displacement from the UK power sector has happened extraordinarily rapidly. Since 2000, 25 coal plants have closed or switched to other fuels, 15 of those since 2012.
Drax revealed in 2020 that its two remaining coal units would close in March 2021, and SSE’s last coal-fired power station, Fiddler’s Ferry, and RWE’s Aberthaw B coal-fired power station, both closed in March 2020.
On 31 March 2023, French-owned energy company EDF Energy closed its 2,000MW West Burton A coal-fired power station, leaving Ratcliffe as the final plant in the UK.
