The electricity from coal will be expensive than the electricity produced from renewable energy sources in four years specifically in Europe, said Julian Popov former Minister of Environment of Bulgaria on Saturday in the Croatia's capital Zagreb.
'According to EU regulation, there is a new term that the power plants adjust themselves to new regulations,' Popov told Anadolu Agency at the 2nd International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE) Eurasian Conference.
Popov informed that the EU recently introduced Large Combustion Plants – BREF – that require very high standards for the industry emission.
The BREF require EU member states to legislatively limit flue gas emissions from combustion plant having thermal capacity of 50 megawatts or bigger.
Popov explained the reason why renewable will be cheaper saying that 'at least for the EU, coal will quite expensive in four years, because the BREF has been introduced and there is four years period when the power plant has to adjust them to the new regulations. That will some case old power plants will need some investments.'
'If you build new coal power plants with the latest technology, even not the best, it is very difficult to get levelise cost of electricity under €8 per megawatthour,' he said.
'If you build a coal power plant with the latest technology, it is €80 per megawatthour. Wind and solar can go €30 or lower than €30 per megawatthour that is new dynamic renewables are cheaper than coal,' Popov said comparing both types of sources.
He further said that there are some challenges in renewables regarding the variability and grid connection. However, he added, these problems can be solved.
By Huseyin Erdogan in Zagreb, Croatia
Anadolu Agency
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