Drawing on public sources, TerraPraxis has aggregated a global data set that allows you to explore information about coal plants across the globe
Today, 2TWe of coal-fired power plants are responsible for almost one-third of global net annual CO2 emissions. Despite international agreements reached at COP26 in Glasgow in 2022 to ‘phase out’ coal use, global coal consumption continues to hit record highs. Coal remains a key energy source and driver of economic growth in developing and developed countries so simply shutting them down is economically and politically unrealistic. Interest in repowering these coal plants with emission-free heat sources (advanced fission, fusion, and geothermal) is gathering steam but will require a new delivery model to achieve the scale and rate of deployment necessary to convert the entire global fleet by 2050.
Terra Praxis is designing a system that will enable the rapid repurposing of coal plant fleets with non-emitting advanced heat sources. This will allow for the continued operation of a sizable portion of existing power plants—without emissions. Repowering coal plants leverages existing sites, infrastructure, transmission lines, industry knowledge, workforces, capital, and supply chains to accelerate the clean energy transition. It also ensures continuity for communities reliant on existing power plants for energy, jobs, tax revenue, and continued economic development.
Our thought leadership, global convenings, news, and media are transforming the global narrative from ‘phase out’ coal-fired power plants to repowering coal plants with emission-free heat sources to accelerate a clean and equitable energy transition.
September 13, 2022
This report corroborates the technical and cost benefits of repowering coal plants outlined by TerraPraxis, including decreased capital costs, reduced energy costs, and increased economic activity. The report concluded that 80% of retired and operating coal power plant sites that were evaluated within a sample of 394 have the basic characteristics needed to be considered amenable to host an advanced nuclear reactor. The study team found regional economic activity could increase by as much as $275 million and add 650 new, permanent jobs to the sample coal plant community region of analysis.
June 30, 2022
This report concludes that achieving Net Zero globally will be more difficult without nuclear and highlights TerraPraxis’s initiative as a vehicle to achieve decarbonization by repowering retired coal plants globally with clean energy. “Various initiatives can facilitate the replacement of coal-fired plants with SMRs (small modular reactors), such as that of TerraPraxis which aims to prepare standardized and pre-licensed designs supported by automated project development and design tools.”
TerraPraxis is leading a global consortium – including governments, regulators, academics, and industry stakeholders – to design a fast, low-cost, and repeatable project delivery model for repowering 2,400 coal plants worldwide by 2050 (hundreds of projects per year).
TerraPraxis developed a coal plant site assessment and business viability application called EVALUATE. Launched at COP27, EVALUATE is designed to help every coal plant owner, institutional investor, and policymaker in the world quickly assess a site-specific business case for repowering, including cost, time schedule, the potential for increased revenues after repowering, job retention, socio-economic benefits and the reduction of carbon emissions.
