Orsted will close its last coal-fired heat and power plantin Esbjerg, Denmark, on August 31. This means its entire energy generation will be almost entirely free of fossil fuels. In the future, the required electricity production will be supplied by other power plants, as well as windandsolar farms. This step is part of Orsted’s plan to achieve a 99% share of green energy production by 2025.  3e2ne

For now, the local heating supply company in Esbjerg is establishing an alternative production capacity for delivering district heating to the municipality of Esbjerg. The 50 employees at the Esbjerg plant will be offered other positions within Orsted, retire, or face layoffs. 

The offshore wind farm developer and owner is one of the largest renewable energy companies in but had, in the past, been one of the most coal-intensive energy companies in Europe. Orsted has dramatically reduced its coal use since 2006 by cutting down the number of coal plants and switching to certified sustainable biomass. 

Ole Thomsen, Senior Vice President at Orsted, stated, “The shutdown of our final coal-fired power plant marks the end of an era in our green transition. The Esbjerg plant has long been crucial to Denmark’s energy system, but we believe it’s time to phase out gas, oil, and coal as quickly as possible. This move brings us closer to being the first major energy company to fully transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.” 

The Esbjerg plant’s closure will eliminateannual emissions of approximately 1.2 million tons of CO2, equivalent to the annual emissions of about 600,000 cars. 

On 31 August, Orsted will also be shutting down the coal-fired unit four at Studstrup Power Station as well as Kyndby Power Station's unit 21. Orsted expects to no longer use coal as a backup fuel after rebuilding a wood pellet silo at the Studstrup plant by the end of 2024.