Iberdrola has announced it will complete the process of phasing out all of its coal fired power stations around the world in order to meet its commitments to tackling climate change.
The Spanish company’s clean energy plan sets a target of reducing its carbon dioxide emissions intensity by 50 per cent over 2007 levels by 2030. It has requested consent from Spain’s Ministry of Energy to decommission two thermal plants with a combined capacity of 874 MW.
The two coal plants – Lada and Velilla – account for just under two per cent of Iberdrola’s total installed capacity of 48 GW. The company says that its emissions are now 70 per cent below its European peers, and it has called on policy makers in Europe to embrace higher and more ambitious binding renewable energy targets for 2030.
Iberdrola has phased out 7500 MW of thermal capacity around the world since 2001. In 2013 and 2016, Cockenzie and Longannet, two large power plants in the United Kingdom with a combined capacity of 3600 MW, were closed. Also, between 2001 and 2012 over 3200 MW of fuel oil-fired plants were decommissioned in Spain.
