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More than 800 coal plants worldwide could be beneficially decommissioned, research group states

More than 800 coalfired power plants in emerging countries could be decommissioned and profitably replaced by cleaner solar energy beginning with the end of the decade, research on Monday showed.

Though only a tenth of existing coal plants are scheduled to closed down by 2030, more could close if efforts are made to identify opportunities, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said.

The key problem here is an absence of a pipeline of well defined, contracted, bankable coal-to-clean deals, stated Paul Jacobson, lead author of the report.

Around 15.5 billion metric lots of carbon dioxide are created every year by 2,000 gigawatts of coal power. The International Energy Company states emissions need to reach zero by 2040 if temperature level increases are to stay within the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

However decommissioning is costly, particularly if plants are still paying off financial obligation or connected to power purchase contracts ( PPAs) that dedicate them to providing electricity over decades.

Federal governments have actually been trying to find solutions to spend for the transition - including the Asian Development Bank's Energy Transition System - however just a little number of jobs have proceeded.

The 800 viable transition targets determined by IEEFA consist of around 600 built thirty years or more ago, much of which have actually paid back financial obligations and are no longer restrained by lengthy PPAs.

With revenue margins for renewables now adequate to cover the expense of replacing coal plants, decommissioning the staying 200 plants developed in between 15 and thirty years back might likewise be budget-friendly, though barriers stay, including nonrenewable fuel source subsidies that pump up an asset's worth.

Decommissioning newer plants will be a bigger monetary difficulty, particularly in countries still constructing fresh capability, consisting of Vietnam.

Ecological groups have actually criticised transition funding for paying polluters not to pollute. Jacobson said guardrails. were required to avoid producing perverse incentives.

Business that continue to construct new coal power plants. while seeking concessions to develop renewable energy needs to not. be permitted to utilize that to benefit from this, he said.

(source: Reuters)