Ireland Is Coal Free

Ireland energy company ESB has ended the use of coal at its Moneypoint power station, marking the end of coal-fired power generation in Ireland. Located in Killimer, Ireland, Moneypoint began its transition away from fossil fuel generation in 2017 with the construction of a 17 MW onshore wind farm. In 2021, ESB announced Green Atlantic At Moneypoint, a multi-billion-dollar plan to transform the site into one of the country’s largest renewable energy hubs, utilizing its deep-water port and existing infrastructure. Phase one of this plan was completed in 2022 with US$57 million investment in Ireland’s first synchronous compensator, a zero-carbon technology that allows the system to utilize ever increasing amounts of use of renewable electricity.

Moneypoint will be available as a back-up facility that Ireland’s state-owned power transmission operator, Eirgrid, can call on should the system require it to assure adequate generation capacity for the Irish market. Should the plant be called into operation, it will use heavy oil. In 2023, ESB and EirGrid signed an agreement to keep Moneypoint available to generate on heavy oil from 2025 to 2029. Oil generation is less carbon intensive than coal generation and the station is expected to see significantly less running during this four-year period.

“Marking the end of coal generation in Moneypoint is an important milestone in ESB’s progress towards net zero,” said Paddy Hayes, chief executive officer at ESB. “It is a significant step in Moneypoint’s transformation into a renewable energy hub, supporting a low carbon future while continuing to support energy security. Moneypoint, the teams working here, and the communities across West Clare have been at the heart of powering Ireland’s electricity system for the best part of 40 years so far – and I would like to thank all those who have played a part in that. At ESB, we look forward to continuing to work together, invested in delivering a clean energy future for all.”

“The role that Moneypoint has played in providing Ireland with a reliable supply of electricity for more than four decades cannot be overstated,” said Irland’s Minister for Climate, Energy and Environment, Darragh O’Brien. “Today, the next step of the station’s journey is beginning as the shift from coal to oil takes place. This is not just a significant move for ESB but also for the country as a whole, as Ireland powers forward to deliver the clean energy transition underpinned by a secure electricity system.”

Ireland joins a growing list of countries that are now operate coal-free power systems. Belgium became the first European country to become coal free, closing its last coal-fired power generation facility in 2016. Other nations that have successfully shuttered coal plants include:

 

Austria – final coal plant closed in 2020

Sweden – final coal plant closed in 2020

Portugal – final coal plant closed in 2021

United Kingdom – final coal plant closed in 2024