In Portugal, environmentalists are cheering the end of coal-fired energy generation. But they warned that converting the country’s final coal-fired power plant to one that burns wood pellets would be a step backward.
The Pego power plant, located 150 kilometers (90 miles) northeast of Lisbon, shut down over the weekend. Therefore, making Portugal the fourth European Union country to stop using coal to generate electricity. Belgium gave up coal in 2016, and Austria and Sweden did the same the following year.
Portugal imports all of its coal, oil, and gas, and has been substantially investing in renewable energy in recent decades.
“Coal’s dire economics and public desire for climate action are driving faster and faster phaseouts across Europe,” says Kathrin Gutmann, campaign director for Europe Beyond Coal. It aims to ensure all coal is out in Europe by 2030.
The single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions is coal power.
In a statement, Gutmann added, “The challenge now is to ensure utilities do not make the mistake of replacing coal with fossil gas or unsustainable biomass.”
However, biomass is a part of proposals for the continued use of Pego, which is up for bid.
Other options, according to Portuguese Environment Minister Joo Pedro Matos Fernandes, include solar energy and electric vehicle manufacture. 17th of January is the last date for submitting proposals.
“Freeing ourselves from our biggest source of greenhouse gases is a momentous day for Portugal. But it is soured by the prospect of the plant being converted to burn forests,” says Francisco Ferreira, head of the Portuguese environmental association ZERO.
“Ditching coal only to switch to the next worst fuel is clearly not an answer,” he says.