Ireland shuts last coal plant, becomes 15th coal-free country in Europe (2025)

Source: Hacker News

Moneypoint in County Clare, Ireland, has shut down power generation at the country’s sole remaining coal plant, making Ireland the 15th coal‑free nation in Europe.

Image: Charles W Glynn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY‑SA 4.0

Closure of Moneypoint Coal Plant

On 20 June 2025, the 915 MW Moneypoint coal plant ceased commercial operation. Commissioned in the mid‑1980s by ESB to offset the oil crises of the 1970s, the plant now functions only as a limited backup oil burner under emergency instruction from Ireland’s transmission system operator, EirGrid, and will no longer participate in the wholesale electricity market.

Renewable Energy Contribution

Ireland’s rapid expansion of renewable generation has reduced the need for coal:

• Wind: 37 % of electricity (11.4 TWh) in 2024, according to Ember data.
• Solar: 0.97 TWh in 2024, with generation records being broken in recent months.

These trends are expected to continue, further diminishing reliance on fossil‑fuel generation.

Backup Role and Future Plans

Until 2029, Moneypoint will remain on standby, capable of burning heavy‑fuel oil only under emergency directives from EirGrid. This aligns with the original plan to exit coal‑fired generation by the end of 2025 and to keep the plant out of the wholesale market.

Reactions

“Ireland has quietly rewritten its energy story, replacing toxic coal with homegrown renewable power.” – Alexandru Mustață, campaigner on coal and gas at Europe’s Beyond Fossil Fuels.

“The government’s priority now must be building a power system for a renewable future; one with the storage, flexibility, and grid infrastructure needed to run fully on clean, domestic renewable electricity.” – Alexandru Mustață.

“We must keep oil backup at Moneypoint to an absolute minimum and ultimately decommission it. The government should also prevent further development of data centres that increase Ireland’s reliance on fossil gas.” – Jerry Mac Evilly, Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth Ireland.

“The government is targeting the installation of at least 2 GW of gas power plants with no strategy to reduce Ireland’s dangerous gas dependency.” – Jerry Mac Evilly.

European Coal Phase‑out Context

Beyond Fossil Fuels tracks European coal‑exit commitments. To date, 23 European countries have pledged to phase out coal. Notable upcoming milestones:

• Italy: Expected to complete its mainland coal phase‑out this summer with the closure of its last two large coal plants.
• Spain (mainland): Anticipated to declare itself coal‑free this summer.

These developments underscore a broader continental shift away from coal toward renewable energy.

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