Greece confirms last coal plant will be shut in 2025

(EurActiv, 26 Apr 2021) “We are saying goodbye to the coal age,” Greece’s energy state secretary told EURACTIV following last week’s announcement that the country’s last lignite plant will be shut down in 2025, three years earlier than planned.

Greece’s Public Power Corp. (PPC), the country’s biggest energy company, said it was abandoning its plan to operate its Ptolemaida 5 lignite plant, which is still under construction, until 2028.

Instead, the plant will switch from lignite to fossil gas in 2025, said PPC, a 51% state-owned company.

The move was announced on 22 April, weeks after PPC surpassed expectations with its first-ever green bond, marking the country’s decisive move away from coal.

“The shutdown of all lignite plants by 2025, earlier than the original plan, marks the entry of Greece into the club of countries that fully adopt the principles of clean energy, while sealing the transformation of PPC into a modern energy player in Europe,” said Greek State Secretary for Energy Alexandra Sdoukou.

“We are saying goodbye to the coal age and looking forward to a new period of development for the country with a renewable sign and high competitive potential,” she told EURACTIV in emailed comments.

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EurActiv, 26 Apr 2021: Greece confirms last coal plant will be shut in 2025