Greece is first Balkan country to announce a coal phase-out date. The revolution has already started in Western Macedonia
Western Macedonia has grown in the last century mainly due to its coal deposits. Lignite mines and power plants were important local employers. The regional capital, Kozani, is still the leading energy producing area of Greece. It provides around 50% of the total country’s power, via lignite combined heat and power units. Now the city is at a turning point for the future of its ageing coal-based energy infrastructure, which is also a CO2 producer. In September during the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to phase out all coal-powered electricity production by 2028, making Greece a pioneer in the Balkans where this mineral mainly plays a central role in the energy mix. “Our goal is to close all lignite-power plants by 2028 at the latest, despite the fact that we remain a big producer of brown coal,” he said. Western Macedonia authorities had already decided to turn to a cleaner energy supply. According to the commitment made to the European Commission (EC), enshrined into the national energy and climate plan, the region pledged to produce energy with zero CO2 emissions by 2050. It involves phasing out all the coal mines in the area and finding alternative energy solutions to supply the district heating network. Read full article here: http://stardustproject.eu/news/greece-is-first-balkan-country-to-announce-a-coal-phase-out-date-the-revolution-has-already-started-in-western-macedonia/
Keywords
Clean energy, Post coal production, Coal energy, Balkan states, Greece