28 January 2025

Capacity markets have awarded over €50bn to fossil fuel assets since 2015 — almost triple of that allocated to clean flexibility

Download Report Download Gas Plants Database

Capacity remuneration mechanisms in Europe is a report from Aurora Energy Research, commissioned by Beyond Fossil Fuels. It finds that since 2015, European capacity markets have allocated nearly €53 billion to fossil fuel power plants—almost three times the funding awarded to clean flexibility solutions. The study shows that capacity markets have provided contracts to almost 200 gas-fired power plants, including around 30GW of new-build gas plants. Contracts for these new-build plants stretch into the 2040s, including in countries committed to decarbonising their power systems by 2035 or earlier. These investments risk locking Europe into fossil fuel dependence. The report recommends that capacity markets are designed to incentivise clean energy investments like storage, demand-side response, and interconnectors to meet climate targets.

 

Read also
BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

24 April 2025

A new global poll of nearly 1,500 business executives reveals a clear tipping point: companies around the world back a shift away from fossil fuels to a renewables-based electricity system by 2035 or sooner.

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

29 November 2019

This report finds that Fortum is taking on responsibility for coal plants that caused about premature deaths and spent millions in health costs in 2016.

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

19 March 2025

The European steel industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. As one of the most emissions-intensive sectors, responsible for 5% of the European Union’s (EU) total emissions and over a quarter of industrial emissions, its transformation is essential to achieving the EU’s ambitious climate goals. The steel sector must undergo rapid decarbonisation, shifting away from polluting coal-based production towards clean, near-zero emissions alternatives. This transition is not only an environmental imperative but also an opportunity to secure the industry’s long-term competitiveness, ensure job security, and reinforce Europe’s industrial leadership in a changing global market.

BLOG
REPORT
BRIEFING
PRESS RELEASE
INFOGRAPHIC

13 May 2025

This report examines how 32 electricity Transmission System Operators (TSOs) across 28 European countries are preparing, or failing to prepare, for a renewables-based electricity system.