Greece Puts Coal Power Plants Shut Down in 2019 Back Into Operation…To Avert Winter Blackouts!

[Nicodeamus]

Greek green follies fail…a U-turn back to coal

Until recently, Greece was one of the largest operators of lignite-fired power plants in Europe, but in 2019 the new government took on the goal of shutting down all coal-fired power plants by 2023 and going green by 2030.

But that has turned out to be easier said than done. Greece now is putting lignite-fired power plants back into operation after a recent study by Greek electricity regulator RAE found the supply was at risk, especially in the cold winter months – due to the lack of reliable baseload power supply.

Natural gas too expensive

“With the rapid shutdown of the coal-fired power plants, electricity generation by gas-fired power plants in Greece rose to a total of 42 percent. However, Greece does not have natural gas reserves and therefore has to import the gas at a high price, making the price of electricity increasingly expensive and unaffordable for many Greeks.” reports Blackout News here. “Now the government is making a U-turn and wants to put the lignite-fired power plants that have already been shut down back into operation. For this reason, it is having the already dismantled power plants rebuilt.”

Greece Puts Coal Power Plants Shut Down in 2019 Back Into Operation…To Avert Winter Blackouts! | Watts Up With That?

But that has turned out to be easier said than done. Greece now is putting lignite-fired power plants back into operation after a recent study by Greek electricity regulator RAE found the supply was at risk, especially in the cold winter months – due to the lack of reliable baseload power supply.

wattsupwiththat.com

 

[Nicodeamus]

no that is surprising?

 

[borro]

 

[itareanlnotani]

Fairly obvious this is a temporary short term solution until they have sufficient additional generation in place.

Seems like a fairly sane decision in the interim.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Oh noes, coal is the saviour of all... all hail the coal.

 

[Ferog]

Ze Germans are shutting down their nuclear soon, probably with the same outcome.

 

[Gnome]

Ze Germans are shutting down their nuclear soon, probably with the same outcome.

You don't just "spin-up" a shutdown nuclear power plant. That said they have postponed their coal shut-down because of their nuclear shutdown.