Portugal's only coal-fired power plant has now been closed. It's nine years ahead of the timetable that dictated that Portugal would stop using fossil fuels for electricity production by 2030. 60-70 percent of the country's electricity comes from renewable sources.
This makes Portugal the fourth country in the EU not to use coal at all for electricity production. Belgium, Austria and Sweden have already shut down all coal power for electricity production.
The environmental organizations are, of course, satisfied and see the early closure as a sign of the times.
"The poor economy for coal power and its large negative environmental impact means that the power plants are being phased out more and more rapidly throughout Europe", says Kathrin Gutmann, campaign manager for the environmental organization Europe Beyond Coal, in a press release.
