Ireland has closed its last coal-fired power station, the state-owned ESB said in a statement.
The power station in County Clare has closed after more than 40 years of operation.
“It is an important milestone that Ireland has officially become coal-free. Moneypoint has phased out coal, marking the end of its use in our energy system. A huge thank you to all the ESB staff who made this possible. Onward with renewables,” Ireland’s Minister for Transport and Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment Darrah O’Brien commented on social media.
As Bloomberg notes, Ireland has become the latest European country to end coal power, with Spain and Italy set to do so soon.
The massive development of renewable energy in Europe to combat climate change has led the continent to nearly halve coal’s presence in the power grid, according to Ember. Until 2013, the most polluting fossil fuel held the largest share of Europe’s energy mix.