German electric utilities company RWE announced the closure of its 1,560-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Wales on Thursday after emission-saving measures were insufficient to keep the plant afloat.
In a bid to make the Aberthaw B Power Station "one of the most efficient coal-fired power stations in the U.K." the company previously invested in various technologies to reduce emissions. Such investments included technology that would allow sulphur reduction in the plant by up to 95% and installing low nitrogen oxide technology to reduce emissions by over 90%.
In the end, RWE made the decision to shut the plant on March 31, 2020, with a statement from the company CEO Roger Miesen reading, "market conditions made this decision necessary."
"It has been clear for some time that the market conditions for coal-fired power generation in the U.K. have been challenging," RWE said in its press release. The plant powered 1.5 million households and employed 170 people whose jobs are now at risk. The decision to close the station will contribute to the company’s goal to reduce its carbon emission step by step, RWE said.
(Anadolu Agency)
