FRANCE

France joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance in 2017, the year it was launched. It announced a coal phaseout date of 2022, one of the most ambitious in the world. However, this was later revised to 2027 in September 2023. In June 2019, the country enacted phaseout legislation in the form of an energy and climate law containing an emission cap effective January 2022. The law is intended to make coal plants unprofitable, but it leaves the door open for low running hours of coal plants beyond the phaseout date or conversion to a mix of coal and biomass. Nine coal-fired units totaling 2,399 megawatts (MW) of capacity remained in operation in France and French territories as of mid-2024. In September 2021, France was part of the coalition of national governments that launched the No New Coal Power Compact, which requires supporters to cease permitting of new coal power plants and end new construction of unabated coal plants by the end of 2021.

Réunion island, an overseas department of France, is home to the 122 MW Le Gol coal- and biomass-fired power plant, but the plant is planned to convert to biomass only in 2024. In addition, New Caledonia, a sui generis collectivity of France, is home to the 100 MW Goro power station and the 270 MW Koniambo Nickel power station.