The most polluting coal plant in Australia to shut a decade earlier than planned

The dirtiest power plant in Australia, responsible for more than 3% of emissions in the country will shut a decade earlier than planned.

AGL, the owner AGL of the coal-fired Loy Yang A power station in Victoria said that the plant will close in 2035. Australia is one of the biggest emitters per capita in the world and it has been long considered a climate policy laggard. AGL is the biggest electricity generator and polluter of Australia and came under pressure to limit fossil fuels.

According to the most recent data, Loy Yang A emitted 16.6 million tons of greenhouse gas in 2019-20. During the same period, Australia in total emitted 513.4 tons of greenhouse gases. Damien Nicks, the chief executive of AGL said in a statement to the stock exchange of Australia that the closure of the plant is a major step forward in the de-carbonization journey of Australia.

Loy Yang A currently supplies a huge chunk of energy for Victoria. The plant was initially scheduled to shut by 2048 but in February it was brought forward by three years. Now, 2035 is decided to be the new deadline.