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All of the UK power plants that were affected by the Large Combustion Plant directive have since been closed permanently. The last one, Ironbridge, closed in No

All of the UK power plants that were affected by the Large Combustion Plant directive have since been closed permanently. The last one, Ironbridge, closed in November 2015. All remaining coal-fired power stations are legally required to close by 2025, but that's a UK decision, not an EU one. In reality they are being used less and less already, and most are likely to close well before 2025.

blibble 7y ago
> "large combustion plant directive (>>+ other later directives<<)" the follow up directive is still very much in effect and has placed operating restrictions (mostly load and hour limits) on many UK power stations https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/industrial-emissions-directive-ied-environmental-permits-issued-2016-p-to-z https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/industrial-emissio... these can be lifted on November 1st (if required), and would radically change the economics of the UK's generation market (not that burning coal is a good thing, but it's better than rolling blackouts)
- Reason077 7y ago
  > "these can be lifted on November 1st (if required), and would radically change the economics of the UK's generation market" How so? Coal-fired power plants are already uneconomic in the UK, and the ones that continue to operate do so with a government subsidy, the "Capacity Market", which essentially pays them to remain on standby in case they are needed. The European Commission actually ruled recently that the CM was illegal state aid, so if anything, Brexit just means that the CM can continue operating. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/electricity-market-reform-capacity-market https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/electricity-market...