As global warming countermeasures require a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the movement to "decoalize" to stop using coal, which is a major source of emissions, is accelerating in Europe.

France is closing down next year in 2022 and Greece in 2028, such as setting a deadline for the total abolition of coal-fired power plants, but it is also facing challenges such as the impact on the local economy and how to take measures against unemployment.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urges developed countries to abolish the use of coal in the electricity sector by 2030, saying that coal use is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The voice is rising.



According to civil society groups calling for "de-coal", the EU-European Union has already closed 266 coal-fired power plants operating in 27 EU countries as of January 2016. By 2030, 151 power plants are scheduled to be closed, accounting for nearly 60% of the total.



On the other hand, the major issue is how to secure employment for those who lose their jobs due to “decoalization” and reduce the impact on the local economy.



The EU has set up a support framework called "just transition" to subsidize the development of new industries and the maintenance of employment in areas where coal-fired power plants and coal mines have been closed, and to attract private investment. Shows the policy.



However, some countries are worried about whether local governments and trade unions will maintain employment in projects planned after the closure, and are worried about losing the coal industry that has supported the local economy for many years. It's up.



Experts have pointed out that "decoaling" requires sufficient time and preparation, and the question is whether climate change countermeasures can be taken while protecting local livelihoods.

Greece closed by 2028

In Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mizotakus has announced that he will shut down all domestic coal-fired power plants by 2028.

As a result, in the northwestern region of West Macedonia, a coal-fired power plant under construction with a total construction cost of 1.4 billion euros and 180 billion yen in Japanese yen will be closed in just six years after completion next year. The labor union replied that the decision was too urgent, and protests were held one after another.



The Greek government has announced plans to secure employment in the region by promoting the construction of solar power plants, attracting the pharmaceutical industry, and strengthening agricultural production, but no specific plans have been decided.



"The government's plans are vague and unanswered to serious problems," said union leaders, who said many unemployed people at coal-fired power plants in other regions that had been closed so far. It shows the idea of ​​continuing the protest.

The closure could leave up to 20,000 people unemployed, the local mayor said. "The areas that have supplied much energy to support the country's economy for many years are eliminated, facing depopulation and poverty. "I don't understand," he said, saying that "de-coaling" should not be promoted by ignoring the lives of people who have worked in the coal industry.

France will be completely abolished by next year

France, which has decided to abolish coal-fired power plants by next year, is trying to maintain employment and promote a "fair transition" by constructing a hydrogen production facility for next-generation clean energy.

Of the two remaining coal-fired power plants in the country, the coal-fired power plant in the industrial area of ​​Moselle in the east is scheduled to close in March next year.



A project to produce hydrogen for vehicles such as railroads and automobiles and for industry as an alternative fuel to fossil fuels is planned to maintain employment for those who lose their jobs after closure and to support the local economy.



Hydrogen will be produced from water using the newly installed solar power plant, which is planned to build a hydrogen production facility at the coal depot on the site of the power plant.



We aim to produce hydrogen without emitting greenhouse gases, and to supply hydrogen using a natural gas pipeline that runs through industrial areas.

"Hydrogen is an important energy source for the future and can be used in many fields such as transportation and industries such as steel," said the director of the power plant.



The pipeline used to supply hydrogen has a total length of 70 km and is connected to neighboring countries such as Germany and Luxembourg, so a project to create a hydrogen supply network across national borders is underway.



"The way to make hydrogen profitable is to scale it up. A few years later, the pipeline will connect European countries to create market prices," said a representative from a major gas supplier participating in the project. I'm talking.



However, the project will be in full swing after 2025, four years later.


During this period, the issue is how to maintain the employment of people who lose their jobs due to closure and how to carry out vocational training so that they can get new jobs, and how to proceed smoothly with the transition from coal to hydrogen.

What are the current situation and challenges in Japan?

In Japan, coal-fired power accounts for about 30% of power generation.



In order to achieve the government's new goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 46% toward 2030 compared to 2013, how to reduce coal-fired power, which emits a large amount of carbon dioxide among fossil fuels, is also an issue. It is one of.

As the movement of "decarbonization" accelerates internationally, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has been conducting concrete studies since July last year toward the gradual reduction of coal-fired power.



This is because the price of coal as fuel is cheaper than that of crude oil and natural gas, and since it is produced all over the world, it can be procured stably, but it has the major disadvantage of emitting a large amount of carbon dioxide among fossil fuels.



For this reason, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has decided to raise the target of coal-fired power generation efficiency stipulated by law from 41% to 43%, and is trying to encourage the upgrade from inefficient equipment to high-efficiency equipment. I will.



However, of the 70 coal-fired power plants of major electric power companies in Japan, only two have reached the target, and how to reduce the number while considering the burden on the operator and the impact on the region. Is the challenge.



On the other hand, power development is planned this month in Yamaguchi Prefecture to upgrade the second Matsushima Thermal Power Station in Nagasaki Prefecture, which has been in operation for 40 years, to state-of-the-art equipment with high power generation efficiency by five years. It has announced that it will abandon the construction of a coal-fired power plant, and it is drawing attention that such movements will spread.



Regarding the export of coal-fired power generation, in December last year, the Government of Japan decided not to support exports in principle if the policy for decarbonization of the partner country could not be confirmed.



On top of that, the conditions for supporting exports have become stricter, and there are requests from partner countries as part of the transition to decarbonization, and the equipment to be introduced has top-class environmental performance utilizing Japan's cutting-edge technology. It is limited to those.