Commission to recommend coal exit deadline in Nov - minister

Czechia's coal commission will recommend a coal phase-out deadline to the government at its next meeting in the middle of November and the cabinet is expected to make a decision by the end of this year, Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek told CTK after meeting of the commission.

Havlicek thus confirmed his earlier statement about setting a course of action by the end of 2020. No final decision about a date was made, as was expected. The commission discussed scenarios concerning years 2033, 2038 and 2043, deputy industry and trade minister Rene Nedela said. It also agreed that more documentation is necessary for a final decision.

Some CTK sources have said that meeting would set the deadline and that it would be the year 2038, same as in Germany. However, Environment Minister Richard Brabec said on Monday that the commission would not make a decision today. The commission, talking and exchanging information, did not hold any vote, environmentalists said.

Topics included an emergency scenario which would cover a complete collapse of the coal sector because of economic reasons before 2030, environmentalists said. They support the idea of such a plan, considering the scenario likely because of the current development of the market and European legislation. Environmentalists want renewable energy sources to be used more and coal-fired power plants to shut down by 2030 or 2033 at the latest.

The main problem of the proposed scenarios is that none expects closure before 2029, which leads to a situation that expects the 2025 electricity export corresponding to the output of the largest coal-fired power plant Pocerady, Jiri Kozelouh, a member of the coal commission, said today, speaking for environmental organisations' association Zeleny kruh (Green Circle).

The commission's recommendation for the government has to be based on analysis discussed and approved in its working groups, the Confederation of Industry said. Setting a coal exit deadline is a political decision, the confederation said. Discussing a deadline is premature because the scenarios currently lack aspects like costs, conditions and risks, confederation spokeswoman Lenka Dudkova said.

The coal commission, whose task is to address the country's coal phase-out and energy mix, was established last year. It has 19 members, including miners, environmentalists and academics, and is headed by Environment Minister Richard Brabec and Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek.

Source: ČTK