FRANCE EYES ‘INTERIM’ RETURN TO COAL

SAINT-AVOLD, FRANCE: The end of France’s coal era seemed so certain last year that the operator of one of the country’s last coal-burning plants posted an upbeat educational video on Youtube titled Let’s visit a coal plant that’s going to be destroyed!

The plant in the northeastern town of Saint-avold indeed halted coal production as scheduled earlier this year — but not for long. This week, its workers were back at the controls, transporting coal from storage heaps and refiring furnaces, as part of emergency efforts to keep the heat and electricity on this winter. The energy crisis across Europe unleashed by Russia’s war in Ukraine has paved the way for coal’s comeback in some regions, to the dismay of politicians and activists who warn this endangers climate goals, the climate itself and public health.