The French Energy Ministry announced on Sunday the restart of a coal-fired power plant that was shut down in March, with the aim of ensuring energy supplies during the winter, in light of the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, a news report said.
The French BFM station quoted the ministry as saying that the decision to restart the power station in Saint-Afol on the German border would not affect France’s decision to phase out coal.
With the exception of one standby power plant, Saint-Afol was the last coal-fired plant in France, which generates much of its electricity from nuclear power.
RTL reported that the legal basis for this measure will be new legislation on dealing with the crisis due to be passed in July.
It added that the station’s 71 employees, who lost their jobs at the end of March, can be temporarily reinstated until the end of 2023. Prior to the shutdown, the plant was operating at full capacity, with about half of the country’s nuclear power plants out of service due to maintenance and repairs.
Compared to other European countries such as Germany, Russian natural gas plays only a limited role in France’s energy supply.
#reason. #France #restarts #coalfired #plant