Belgium’s last coal-fired power plant, the Langerlo power station, burned its last ton of coal on March 30, according to Climate Action Network Europe. “Ending coal power use in Belgium marks a significant step in the inevitable transition away from fossil fuels,” Joanna Flisowska, CAN Europe coal policy coordinator, said in a press release. “Belgium going coal free is yet another proof that golden days of the coal industry are over.” The country joins six others in the European Union to cut out coal entirely, following Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
“Hard times for the coal industry will get a lot tougher yet, as many more countries are phasing out coal,” Flisowska added. “This is good news for the climate. To avoid worst impacts of climate change, the EU has to ensure that carbon emissions from its coal power plants are cut down much faster than their current rate.”
CAN Europe said the Langerlo power station contributed about 2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions to Belgium’s total emissions annually. While the plant is no longer burning coal, it will continue to operate, following a conversion to biomass.
