coal

The French energy company has decided to sell its coal-fired power plants in Germany and the Netherlands to U.S.-based private equity firm Riverstone.

German states with coal mining regions would receive a total of €40 billion from the federal government over 20 years for structural change under the terms of the Coal Commission’s proposal, while operators of coal-fired plants would receive compensation.

In their annual monitoring report, Germany’s Federal Network Agency and the Federal Cartel Office have analyzed the figures for 2017. At the end of last year, renewables accounted for around 112.5 GW of operational capacity, while conventional sources totalled 105.1 GW.

Polish research institute IEO released a new analysis showing increasing power prices in the Eastern European country, due to the current energy policy, which still strongly relies on coal power. Replacing coal with solar power, it argues, would likely result in decreasing power prices.

While global coal mining companies are enjoying the highest prices in years on the back of boosted Asian demand, banks and financiers are increasingly ending their support for coal power. London-based Standard Chartered the latest to stop financing new coal-fired stations.

The output of all the main sources of thermal electricity generation declined in the first nine months of this year, as hydro, wind and solar boomed and demand fell.

Analysis of the U.K.’s energy figures for 2017 show that renewables provided more power than coal on 315 days of the year, with solar a dominant player throughout the summer months.

The Dutch shipment company and the Singapore-based coal trader will begin providing the global solar industry with specialty metallurgical coals.

One of the United States’ largest power companies is looking to increase its renewable energy portfolio five-fold in value and has identified a 1.37 GW solar pipeline.