20 June 2025

Ireland Becomes Europe’s 15th Coal-Free Country as Moneypoint Ends Coal Burning

Kilrush, Co. Clare, 20 June 2025 — Ireland has today ended coal power generation, joining a growing group of European countries that have eliminated coal from their electricity mix. The closure of Moneypoint’s coal operations makes Ireland Europe’s sixth country to exit coal.

This moment was made possible by Ireland’s remarkable progress on renewable power. At the turn of the millennium, wind supplied just 1% of the country’s electricity. Today, it generates more than a third, enabling the complete phase-out of coal from Ireland’s power system [1].

“Ireland has quietly rewritten its energy story, replacing toxic coal with homegrown renewable power. But this isn’t ‘job done’. The government’s priority now must be building a power system fit for a renewable future; one with the storage, flexibility, and grid infrastructure needed to run fully on clean, domestic renewable electricity,” said Alexandru Mustață, campaigner on coal and gas at Beyond Fossil Fuels. 

While Moneypoint will serve a limited backup role, burning heavy fuel oil under emergency instruction from EirGrid until 2029, its exit from the electricity market is a decisive step in Ireland’s journey toward a fossil-free, renewables-based power system.

“The end of coal burning at Moneypoint is a significant sign of progress and a clear indication that Ireland’s fossil fuel era can and must draw to a close. The government must now ensure oil back-up is kept to an absolute minimum and ultimately decommissioned.  More broadly, it is essential that the government stops further development of data centres, which are increasing our reliance on polluting and expensive fossil gas,” said Jerry Mac Evilly, Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth Ireland.

“We also can’t ignore that 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. Now is the time for Ireland’s government to be clear that a zero-carbon system, prioritising battery storage, demand reduction and renewables, is the answer to the country’s climate and energy security objectives,” Mac Evilly added. 

Moneypoint’s closure fires the starting gun on what could be a defining summer for Europe’s coal phase-out. Spain and Italy are set to follow suit in the coming months, with the anticipated shutdown of their remaining mainland coal plants, making them coal-free apart from the Balearic Islands and Sardinia [2]. In total, 15 European countries are now operating coal-free power systems, and 10 others have committed to exit coal in the next five years [3]. Together, this betrays a new reality: coal in Europe is not just in retreat, it’s a power source of the past.

Notes

1. Wind energy covered 37% of Ireland’s electricity generation in 2024 https://ember-energy.org/data/electricity-data-explorer/?entity=Ireland&metric=pct_sh
2. Italy
   Italy is expected to complete its mainland coal phase-out this summer with the anticipated closure of its last two major coal power plants: Brindisi Sud (1980 MW), owned by Enel and Torrevaldaliga Nord (1980 MW), owned by Enel. Both plants are expected to cease regular operations in mid-2025 and are set to be placed into a strategic reserve, pending full decommissioning. Italy’s remaining coal plants, Sulcis (590 MW) owned by Enel, and Fiume Santo (640 MW) owned by EPH, are located on the island of Sardinia and are expected to remain online until an undersea grid cable to the mainland is completed.
   Spain
   Also on track to become coal-free on the mainland this summer is Spain. The country’s Aboño (916 MW) coal plant, owned by EDP, is currently being converted from coal to fossil gas. EDP says it will likely begin testing its new gas turbine next week. Two smaller EDP-owned plants, Soto de Ribera (350 MW) and Los Barrios (589 MW), are barely operating and are expected to be decommissioned this year. 
3. Statuses of European countries’ national coal phase outs: https://beyondfossilfuels.org/europes-coal-exit/
4. Ireland’s dependency on imported fossil gas: https://irelandenergy2050.ie/questions/when-will-gas-from-irish-sources-run-out/

About 

Beyond Fossil Fuels is a collective civil society campaign committed to ensuring all of Europe’s electricity is generated from fossil-free, renewable energy by 2035. It expands and builds upon the Europe Beyond Coal campaign, and its goal of a coal-free Europe in power and heat by 2030 at the latest. www.beyondfossilfuels.org

Thumbnail image: Charles W Glynn / ESB Moneypoint Generating Station / CC BY-SA 2.0