Irish Coal Grinds to a Halt

Fossil Fuels. Until 2013, coal—the most polluting fossil fuel—had the biggest share of Europe’s power mix. In an historic turnaround since 2016, across Europe 194 plants have closed or announced retirements. Only 134 remain to be closed. A paltry 3 are planned for new construction. For Ireland, the shift was accelerated by its booming wind sector, which now supplies more than a third of the country’s electricity. Still, "environmental groups warn that growing reliance on gas and a data-center expansion could undermine Ireland’s climate targets if major investments in grid flexibility + storage aren’t made." As a backup, 'the Irish coal plant Moneypoint will remain on standby, burning oil in emergency situations under Irish grid operator EirGrid’s direction until 2029.' That site is transitioning to house more assets for the energy transition, with Ireland’s first 'synchronous compensator' starting operations there in 2022. "This device helps the grid regulate the inertia and frequency on the grid in the face of rising renewables." Grid stability is critical to keep the lights on 'as renewables flood the system, an issue which many are pointing to as the cause of the recent blackout in Spain.'