This power plant is operated by CEZ, but since 2024 it is to be taken over by a new owner, the Sev.en Energy group of Pavel Tykač. This is shown by the latest data from the Emissions Trading Scheme, which has been verified and currently published by the European Commission. It is written in a press release published by the Rainbow Movement and Greenpeace CR.
According to her, the second largest source was the ČEZ Tušimice power plant with 4.7 million tons of CO2 and the third Vřesová power plant (owned by Sokolovská uhelná) with 3.9 million tons of CO2. The Chvaletice Power Station, a member of the Sev.en Energy Group, emitted 3.7 million tonnes of CO2. Thus, only the outdated coal-fired power plants Počerady and Chvaletice emitted 8.4 million tons of CO2 last year, approximately the same as 4 million passenger cars.
The Czech Republic is the third largest polluter in the EU by burning coal for energy production. With 44 million tonnes of CO2 in 2019, we are far behind the fourth Bulgaria with 24 million tonnes. Germany is in the first place (which already has a plan for a rapid phasing out of coal and the end of its combustion in 2038 at the latest) and Poland is second.
The largest source of CO2 in the EU is the giant Polish brown coal power plant Belchatów, which emitted 32.7 million tonnes of CO2. In the top ten polluters there are eight brown coal sources (1 Polish, 6 German and 1 Bulgarian), 1 coal-fired power plant, and Ryanair in 9th place.
Jiří Koželouh, Head of the Energy, Climate and Waste Program of the Rainbow Movement, said:
“Closing the wasteful coal-fired power plants in Počerady and Chvaletice would reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the same way as if four million passenger cars stopped driving in the Czech Republic. At the same time, shutting down obsolete power plants would only reduce the giant export of electricity from the Czech Republic. The Coal Commission should return to the virtual negotiating table and further prepare a plan for the cessation and end of coal burning in the Czech Republic. ”
Lukáš Hrábek, Greenpeace spokesman, said:
“In the coming years, CEZ can significantly reduce the operation of the Počerady power plant, which is the largest source of not only greenhouse gases, but also hazardous and toxic mercury. It is nothing, it sold the power plant and economically is more of a burden. Instead, the company applied for an unreasonably long exemption from the mercury emission limits until mid-2025 to continue using the plant in full operation. ”
(SCa, photo: BBC)
