The economic viability of coal is ever decreasing. Without public financial support many coal investments are doomed to fail. Yet several institutions are still willing to finance an energy source that wrecks our climate, damages our health and wastes our money.
To help bring about a world beyond coal, we investigate and promote a socially responsible transition while exposing the economic, legal, social and environmental risks of coal power.
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We provide updates in English from the Balkans and other coal regions.
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Just transition
No one should be left behind when we reconstruct our world into one driven by clean energy. Working on just transition brings all actors who believe in fair regional redevelopment to the same table: unions, industry, public administration, governments, civil society and others sharing this goal.
Coal projects
Kolubara B lignite-fired power plant, Serbia
The Kolubara B thermal power plant site is situated near Kalenic village, 60 km south-west of Belgrade, at the northern side of the Tamnava Open Cast Mine. The decision to build the 2×350 MW plant was taken in 1983 and construction started in 1988. Construction progressed slowly until 1992, when work was suspended due to sanctions against Serbia. At this stage about 40 percent of the facility had already been constructed, partly with the assistance of a World Bank loan.
Kostolac B3 lignite power plant, Serbia
Serbia’s state-owned utility Elektroprivreda Srbije is planning a new 350 MW lignite plant at Kostolac in the country’s north-east. In spite of high level support and Chinese financing, the project is plagued by concerns over pollution, state aid and legal challenges.
Kosova e Re lignite power plant, Kosovo
Kosovo currently wastes much of the electricity it produces in its two highly polluting lignite plants: In 2016, nearly 30 percent was lost from the distribution system through technical losses and non-payment (around half each), and much more is wasted through lack of energy efficiency measures. Yet the Kosovo government, heavily backed by the US government, plans to build a new 500 MW lignite plant, Kosova e Re or New Kosovo.
Latest news
New report: Western Balkan coal plants in severe breach of air pollution limits
Press release | 10 December, 2019Brussels – Western Balkan countries breach air pollution limits for coal plants agreed with the Energy Community by as much as six times for one toxic substance, according to new research published today by CEE Bankwatch Network.
Read moreNorth Macedonia: coal exit welcome, but no excuse for ecosystem destruction
Blog entry | 5 December, 2019Two out of three scenarios in the country’s groundbreaking draft Energy Strategy foresee a coal exit by 2025 – excellent news in a country traditionally dominated by coal-fired electricity. But the Strategy’s plans for hydropower are unrealistic, writes Nevena Smilevska.
Read moreEuropean banks must not support a “new Šoštanj 6” in Bosnia-Herzegovina, warn NGOs
Press release | 2 December, 2019Slovene bank NLB’s offer of a loan for the construction of the controversial Tuzla 7 coal power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina poses serious risks to the bank and its shareholders due to a slew of legal and economic issues around the project, warned a group of non-governmental organisations in a letter to the bank today (1).
Read moreRelated publications
Chinese-financed coal projects in Europe
Briefing | 10 December, 2019 | Download PDFAs coal phase-out is well underway in the European Union, and the international community is mobilizing to tackle the climate crisis, new coal plants are still planned and built in Southeast Europe, courtesy of Chinese financial support.
Comply or close: how Western Balkan coal plants breach air pollution laws and what governments must do about it
Study | 10 December, 2019 | Download PDFIn 2018, pollution control legislation under the Energy Community Treaty finally obliged the Western Balkan countries to start reducing the choking air pollution from their coal power plants. Action was badly needed. In 2016, these 16 plants emitted as
The transformation action plan for the Slovakia’s Upper Nitra coal region
Study | 24 September, 2019 | Download PDFThe aim of this study is to describe the process by which local communities participated in the Transformation Action Plan of Coal Region Upper Nitra and to propose concrete steps towards the better integration of the local communities in order to achi
