Global number of coal power plants decreases for the first time



08/18/2020 10:29 AM


For the first time in the world, the growth of the volume of electricity obtained from coal has stopped. The decline is due to Europe, while China, on the contrary, is increasing production.



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For the first time in the history of recent decades, global electricity production from coal declined in the first half of 2020. This is stated in the report of the environmental organizations "Global Coal Plant Trackers" and "Global Energy Monitor".

In the first 6 months of 2020, coal-fired power plants with a total volume of 18.3 gigawatts were commissioned. Power plants with more than 21 gigawatts were closed during the same period. The global decline in electricity production from coal is mainly due to Europe, where this volume decreased by 8.3 gigawatts in the first half of the year, and will be reduced by 6 gigawatts in the second.

However, in Southeast Asia, the commissioning of new coal-fired power plants is slowing down and is about 70 percent of the usual values of the last 5 years this half of the year. The exception is China, which is stepping up the commissioning of coal-fired power plants. They are considered by environmentalists to be responsible for 40 percent of the world's CO2 emissions.

In Germany, a law was passed in July to phase out the use of lignite and hard coal in power generation until 2038. A total of €40 billion will be allocated to support regions whose economies will suffer from the abandonment of coal.

source: dw.de


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