Polluting Spanish power stations to be shut

Spanish electricity firms are to shut down nearly 35% of the country's coal and oil-based electricity generating capacity over the next ten years to comply with EU air pollution controls, the government has stated.

In answer to a parliamentary question, the industry ministry said that operators would shut four coal-fired stations and 19 oil-fired plants by 2015. The plants, all of which date from before 1987, have a combined capacity of 6,500 megawatts and last year emitted 23,860 tonnes of nitrogen oxides and 85,800 tonnes of sulphur dioxide.