Israel decides to decommission coal-fired power plants
The oldest and most polluting coal fired power units in Israel will be shut. According to a decision made public on 24th August 2016, the Ministry of Energy will proceed to phase out coal-fired units at the Orot Rabin power station and Units1 to 4 at the Hadera plant. In 2015 the Ministry of Energy had already committed to reduce coal use in the country by 15%.
The decision has been hailed as a landmark. The Environmental Protection Minister Zeev Elkin has publicly congratulated the Ministry of Energy and in a statement has declared that : ”the decision will propel the electricity sector into the 21st century and … will lead to savings of billions of shekels for many households.”
Coal-fired electricity plants are one of the main sources of air pollution in Israel. The recent decision will ensure that as the units are shut down over the next few years, mortality rates due to pollution levels should also be significantly reduced. Previous Ministry of Environmental Protection figures indicate that the power plant in Hadera may annually cause an estimated 155 extra deaths.