If and when they scale up manufacturing of thorium MSRs (and/or alternative designs also being trialled), they can retrofit those reactors in place of the coal

If and when they scale up manufacturing of thorium MSRs (and/or alternative designs also being trialled), they can retrofit those reactors in place of the coal furnaces and retain the majority of the investment in each power plant - the turbines, water supply, cooling systems, generator, transformers, substation and transmission connections. In the mean time they have electricity. I think it's what an engineer would do.