Sardinian authorities have promised to revise the region's energy plans to meet EU climate protection targets, following a Greenpeace blockade at the E.ON owned Fiume Santo coal-fired power station to protest planned expansion of climate changing coal capacity in the region.

Early Sunday morning, Greenpeace activists blocked conveyor belts at the plant, preventing coal from being carried to the furnace. Together with E.ON - one of the largest utilities companies in Europe - the Sardinian authorities plan to convert two older units at the plant from oil to coal, to join the two already using coal.

'During our action, we met with the regional environmental minister, who has now declared the intention of the regional government to revise its energy plans (1),' said Giuseppe Onufrio, Campaign Director of Greenpeace Italy. 'Greenpeace welcomes this news. We were prepared to block the power station for many days, but we have suspended our action following Sardinia's change of course.'

Coal, the most polluting of all fossil fuels, is responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Coal-fired power stations undermine European targets to cut emissions by 30% by 2020. E-ON has so far made no declaration, despite Greenpeace's request that it commits to reducing its CO2 emissions.

E.ON plans a €50 billion investment programme for 2008-2010 to expand its generation capacity across Europe, only €6 billion of which is to be invested in renewable sources of energy. E.ON plans to build eight new coal plants in Germany, Belgium, the UK and the Netherlands (costing around €1.2 billion each) and to construct another 2000MW of coal-fired capacity in the rest of the EU. (2)

'If we are to prevent catastrophic climate change we need an energy revolution now,' said Agnes de Rooij, Greenpeace International climate campaigner. 'Companies like E.ON must act responsibly. They must stop investing millions of Euros in new coal stations and invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency instead.'

This autumn, the Greenpeace ships Rainbow Warrior and Arctic Sunrise are bringing the 'Quit Coal' message to the Mediterranean and Europe. The expedition is happening in the run-up to crucial UN climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland this December. Quitting coal will be essential to a meaningful deal to save the climate. European governments must show leadership by phasing out coal. Greenpeace's Energy [R]evolution scenario shows how renewable energy, combined with energy efficiency, can cut global CO2 emissions by 50% and deliver half the world's energy needs by 2050.
 
(Environmental Expert, 20/10/2008)