THIS week Ireland became the 15th country in Europe to give up all coal production.
Moneypoint power station in County Clare, the nation’s last operational coal plant, officially closed its doors after 40 years on June 20th.
Operated by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), Moneypoint was originally built to provide a stable energy supply in the wake of the global oil crisis of the 70s.
The closure of the plant cements Ireland’s turn towards renewable energy, especially wind power.
Energy think tank Ember estimates that in 2025 wind will generate nearly 40% of Ireland’s total 11 terawatt-hour (TWh) electricity.
Solar energy currently contributes less (0.97 TWh last year), but it has been consistently surpassing production targets in recent years.
Although Moneypoint has exited the wholesale electricity market, it will maintain a limited backup role until 2029.
EirGrid, Ireland’s national grid operator, can call upon the facility to burn heavy fuel oil under emergency directives.
This limited reserve function aligns with existing plans by ESB and EirGrid to phase out coal-fired generation by the end of 2025.
“Ireland has quietly rewritten its energy story by replacing polluting coal with homegrown renewable energy,” said Alexandru Mustață, a coal and gas campaigner with Beyond Fossil Fuels, a European climate advocacy group.
Environmental advocates stress that the transition isn’t complete. Jerry Mac Evilly, Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth Ireland, urged the government to limit and eventually retire Moneypoint’s oil-based backup role.
He also called for stronger policies to curb the expansion of energy-intensive data centres, which, he argued, are increasing Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels.
The closure of Moneypoint marks a major milestone in Ireland’s clean energy journey.
According to Beyond Fossil Fuels, 23 European countries have committed to phasing out coal.
Italy and Spain are expected to declare their mainland regions coal-free later this summer.