Ireland Shuts Last Coal Plant as Europe’s Phaseout Accelerates

Ireland became the latest European country to put an end to coal-fired power generation, with Spain and Italy set to follow soon.

The last coal plant in the country has officially closed in County Clare, after more than 40 years in operation, state utility ESB said in a statement. Also this year, Italy will shut two major stations, and Spain’s remaining ones will be decommissioned or transformed into gas plants, according to nonprofit Beyond Fossil Fuels.