Coal-free Czechia 2030

The report argues that a coal-free Czechia by 2030 is feasible through a least-cost pathway focused on rapid expansion of wind and solar power, supplemented by flexible gas generation and large-scale heat pumps. It estimates that this transition would reduce power sector emissions by 85% and create approximately 45,000 direct jobs, while requiring €11bn in power sector capital investment.

• A feasible, least-cost pathway to phase out coal from electricity and heating in Czechia by 2030 exists, primarily driven by a strong focus on wind and solar energy.
• To achieve a 2030 phase-out, Czechia would need to add 3.7GW of onshore wind and 7.9GW of solar capacity, reaching totals of 4GW and 10GW respectively by 2030.
• The transition would require adding between 2.5GW and 3.4GW of new gas generation to replace 9.7GW of closed coal capacity. The use of 2GW of grid-scale battery storage can reduce the need for flexible gas capacity by 1GW.
• At least two-thirds of heat from coal combined heat and power (CHP) plants could be replaced by large heat pumps and waste heat recovery. The model deploys 500MWth of large heat pumps by 2030.
• A 2030 coal phase-out would reduce CO2 emissions from power generation by 85% between 2020 and 2030, saving an additional 32MtCO2 compared to the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). This would allow Czechia to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60% from 1990 levels.
• The required capital investment for the power sector is estimated at €11bn, representing approximately 0.45% of Czech GDP per year for ten years. This investment is expected to generate 45,000 direct full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs, with 95% created by wind and solar.
• By 2030, Czechia would become a small net importer of electricity, with net imports totaling 550GWh, or less than 1% of consumption.

APA

Rosslowe, D. C., & Moore, C. (2020). Coal-free Czechia 2030. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/English-Coal-free_Czechia_2030-1.pdf

Chicago

Rosslowe, Dr Chris, and Charles Moore. Coal-free Czechia 2030. Ember, 2020. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/English-Coal-free_Czechia_2030-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rosslowe |first1=Dr Chris |last2=Moore |first2=Charles |title=Coal-free Czechia 2030 |publisher=Ember |date=November 2020 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/English-Coal-free_Czechia_2030-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rosslowe2020coalfree, author = {Rosslowe, Dr Chris and Moore, Charles}, title = {{Coal-free Czechia 2030}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/10/English-Coal-free_Czechia_2030-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }