RWE to Shut Five Coal-Power Plant Units in Germany

By Pierre Bertrand

RWE is to permanently close down five coal power plant units at the end of March as the German energy company continues phasing out coal-fired energy.

A total of 2,100 megawatts of lignite capacity will be taken offline on March 31. The power plant units are located at the Grevenbroich-Neurath and Bergheim-Niederaussem sites, RWE said.

The decommissioning comes after the German government had temporarily extended their operation in order to shore up the country's power sector.

RWE said it has already decommissioned 12 lignite-fired power plant units, a total output of 4,200 megawatts, since the end of 2020.

A further 300 megawatts from the Weisweiler power plant will be shut down at the end of this year, RWE said, adding that further closures are planned in the coming years.

RWE plans to phase-out coal by 2030.

Write to Pierre Bertrand at pierre.bertrand@wsj.com