Europese stroomfabrikanten willen geen nieuwe kolencentrales meer

Europese stroomfabrikanten willen geen nieuwe kolencentrales meer

6 april 2017Gisteren maakten de Europese stroomfabrikanten bekend dat ze vanaf 2020 geen nieuwe kolencentrales meer zullen bouwen. ‘Het begin van het einde van kolen.’ Alleen Polen en Griekenland zetten geen handtekening op het moratorium.

‘The European electricity sector does not intend to invest in new-build coal-fired power plants after 2020’. aldus de gisteren ondertekende toezegging van de Europese stroomproducenten (met uitzondering van die van Polen en Griekenland).
De stroomproducenten willen zich inzetten voor een CO2-neutrale elektriciteitsproductie in 2050.

Uit het persbericht van Eurelectric (de Union of the Electric Industry – vertegenwoordigt 3500 bedrijven) 
‘(…) The European electricity sector believes that achieving the decarbonisation objectives agreed in the Paris Agreement is essential to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the global economy. Eurelectric’s members are committed to delivering a carbon neutral power supply in Europe by 2050, and to ensuring a competitively priced and reliable electricity supply throughout the integrated European energy market.

This commitment to decarbonise electricity generation, together with the electrification of key sectors, such as heating, cooling and transport, will make a major contribution to help Europe meet its climate change targets. Electricity is on track to becoming a carbon neutral energy carrier and, if used more widely, will open the door for many more positive changes, spill-overs in sectors which currently have no prospect of becoming fully sustainable.

Eurelectric believes that market-based mechanisms such as carbon markets are the most cost- effective and efficient tool for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and stimulating investments in low carbon technologies and energy efficiency. Only the combination of an effectively reformed EU ETS and improved EU electricity market design can lead to sustainable and credible carbon price signals to drive investments to mature low carbon technologies.

The power sector is already widely investing into low-carbon and innovative solutions to achieve carbon-neutral electricity supply by 2050, and does not intend to invest in new-build coal-fired power plants after 2020.

In this context, we strongly reiterate our belief in cost-efficiency as an essential to building a resilient and future-proof Energy Union. We therefore urge policy makers to refrain from introducing command and control tools and to support a market-based energy transition. (…)’

‘The end of coal’

The Guardian noemt de toezegging van de stroomproducenten (‘a surprise announcement’) ’the end of coal’.
Uit het bericht van The Guardian
‘(…) New coal plant constructions fell by almost two thirds across the world in 2016, with the EU and US leading the way in retiring in existing coal capacity. The move is also in line with a pathway for meeting the 2C target laid out by climate scientists last month, as a way of limiting future stranded asset risks. Europe will have to phase out all of its coal plants by 2030 or else “vastly overshoot” its Paris climate pledges, climate experts say. (…)’

 

Bronnen
Eurelectric, persbericht, 5 april 2017: European Electricity Sector gears up for the Energy Transition
The Guardian, 5 april 2017: The end of coal: EU energy companies pledge no new plants from 2020
Duitse bruinkoolcentrale Jänschwalde, inmiddels door Vattenfall verkocht (foto: Vattenfall)

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