WWF names Europe's dirtiest power stations

May 10, 2007, 9:19 GMT

Gland, Switzerland - Germany and Britain topped a list of countries with polluting power stations in Europe in a Dirty Thirty report published Thursday by WWF.

The study by the Swiss-based international conservation organization listed the least efficient plants and those with the largest carbon dioxide emissions.

Germany and Britain topped a list of worst offending countries with 10 of Europe's dirtiest plants within each of their borders, followed by Poland with four. Greece's Agios Dimitrios and Kardia power plants owned by DEH, followed by the Niederaussem plant in Germany owned by RWE, topped the table of worst plants.

Just four companies were responsible for more than half the stations listed: RWE and EON of Germany, Vattenfall of Sweden and EDF of France.

In 2006, the Dirty Thirty coal-powered stations were responsible for 393 million tonnes of CO2, equal to 10 per cent of all European Union emissions. CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels is seen as a major factor in global warming and climate change.

'The facts are clear, the power sector needs to phase out dirty coal as soon as possible,' said Stephan Singer, head of WWF's European climate and energy unit. 'This must be done through an improved EU emissions trading system, helping the EU achieve its target of up to 30 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020.'

The report called for a stronger EU emissions trading scheme to deliver greater emissions reductions by encouraging investment in cleaner and more efficient plants.

Two of the companies, RWE and Vattenfall were also the EU's largest corporate climate polluters, the study said.

'We cannot tolerate a power sector where the dirtier get richer,' Singer said. 'The EU must ensure that only those who clean up their power stations reap monetary rewards.'