07 December 2023

Italy, Hungary, and North Macedonia delay coal exits

Italy, 2025 to 2027: All coal plants in Italy plan to close by 2025 except Sulcis (590 MW) on Sardinia. Delayed interconnections threaten to push back Sulcis’ closure to 2027, and as a consequence, Italy’s national coal phase-out to the same year. 

Hungary, 2025 to 2027: The Hungarian government extended its last remaining coal plant’s (Matra 884 MW) closure date until a new combined cycle gas turbine power plant – slated to enter operation in 2027 at the earliest – is ready to replace it, thereby pushing their coal exit until 2027. 

North Macedonia, 2027 to 2030: In November 2023, the Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi backtracked on the country’s PPCA coal phase-out commitment of 2027, saying North Macedonia has “set an ambitious goaI to completely reduce and exclude the use of coal for electricity production by 2030”.

Read also
BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

19 January 2026

On 3 January, an arson attack damaged high-voltage cables near a combined heat and power plant, triggering a blackout in […]

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

25 November 2025

Spain quietly reached a historic milestone this summer: for a record 74 days between 3 July and 16 September, the country’s power system operated entirely without coal. With coal accounting for less than 1% of Spain’s electricity generation this year, it’s a clear sign that the country is on the brink of completing a full coal phase-out.

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

18 November 2025

Distribution grids need to transition from a network where households and businesses passively consume electricity generated principally from centralised thermal power plants – to a system where electricity is generated and consumed in a much more decentralised, flexible manner. This transformation redefines the role of DSOs. Their new role as the key enablers, innovators and investors for the energy transition necessarily implies that current governance and operational structures need overhauling. Our new report sets out high-level changes needed to transform DSOs into the enablers of the clean energy transition.

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

06 November 2025

Türkiye’s Ministry of Energy’s recent announcement about turning former coal mining sites into solar fields is a promising but cautious step toward a cleaner future. On paper, it signals a shift away from costly, polluting fossil fuels, something Türkiye urgently needs to plan for. But the true test will be in how this transformation is implemented, and who truly benefits from it.