Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Finland Set To Become First Country To Ban Coal Use For Energy (newscientist.com)

Posted by msmash on from the moving-forward dept.

Finland could become the first country to ditch coal for good. As part of a new energy and climate strategy due to be announced tomorrow, the government is considering banning the burning of coal for energy by 2030. From a New Scientist article: "Basically, coal would disappear from the Finnish market," says Peter Lund, a researcher at Aalto University, and chair of the energy programme at the European Academies' Science Advisory Council. The groundwork for the ban already seems to be in place. Coal use has been steadily declining in Finland since 2011, and the nation heavily invested in renewable energy in 2012, leading to a near doubling of wind power capacity the following year. It also poured a further $85 million into renewable power this past February. On top of this, Nordic energy prices, with the exception of coal, have been dropping since 2010. As a result of such changes, coal-fired power plants are being mothballed and shut all over Finland, leaving coal providing only 8 per cent of the nation's energy.

3 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Second to announce being first. by mspohr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    At the recent Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh, 43 of the developing nations most threatened by climate change – who together form the Climate Vulnerable Forum – committed to transitioning to 100% Renewable Energy.
    Don't know how many of these are using coal now but they certainly won't be adding coal and will be phasing it out what they have.

    --
    I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
  2. Re:Political Gamesmanship Of The Moment by sit1963nz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    http://www.nrel.gov/news/featu... The wind turbines in Antartica seem to be going OK and its a lot colder there.

  3. Maybe first to ban by Traxton · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But the neighbour countries Norway and Sweden haven't used coal in decades. For electricity generation, Norway is basically 100% hydro and Sweden is 45% hydro, 40% nuclear and 15% wind, solar, woodburning and minor natgas. Pressure from Denmark forced Sweden to shut down their most southern nuclear plant, so a small natgas plant had to be built(2 TWh of the total 160 TWh generated). The natgas is bought from... Denmark.