Orsted Energy shuts down last coal-fired power plant

Orsted, a Danish company, announced on Thursday that it will close its last coal-fired units this week. This marks a significant milestone in the transition of Orsted to fossil-free power generation.

Since selling its oil business in 2017, the company, which was formerly called DONG Energy has pioneered offshore energy. It now calls itself a "renewable giant" and is a leader in offshore wind.

Orsted announced that it would shut down its coal-fired plant in Esbjerg, and another coal unit at its Studstrup facility on Saturday. It said this was the final major step towards its goal of achieving a 99% share of green energy by 2025.

Ole Thomsen, Orsted's director of bioenergy, said in a press release that the company is on the right track to become the first large energy company to convert its energy production completely from fossil fuels into renewable energy.

In 2008, 85% the company's production of heat and electricity was based on fossil energy.

Orsted originally planned to stop coal combustion by March 2023. However, the Danish government ordered the company to continue operating at its Esbjerg plant as well as other units in the wake of the energy crisis caused by Russia's invasion and occupation of Ukraine.

The order of the government expires Saturday. (Reporting and editing by Jacob GronholtPedersen, Jan Harvey, and Stine Jacobsen)

(source: Reuters)