Ireland has officially ceased producing electricity from coal, joining other European nations in phasing out the fossil fuel.
The state-run utility company ESB confirmed the closure of the country’s final coal-fired power station, located in County Clare, marking the end of more than four decades of coal-based energy generation.
“This is the end of coal in Ireland and the beginning of a cleaner energy future,” said ESB CEO Paddy Hayes.
The shift was made possible in large part by the expansion of wind power, which now generates over one-third of Ireland’s electricity.
Although coal-fired generation has ended, the Moneypoint station will remain available in emergency situations. Grid operator EirGrid may call on the plant to run on fuel oil until 2029. Additional infrastructure is also planned for the site to support the country’s evolving energy system; notably, Ireland’s first synchronous compensator began operating there in 2022.
Beyond Ireland, similar transitions are underway elsewhere in Europe. Italy is set to close two large coal plants this year, and in Spain, the last remaining coal facilities are expected to be either decommissioned or converted to gas use, according to the non-profit group Beyond Fossil Fuels.
