As European countries position themselves as global climate leaders at COP29 – and coinciding with the thematic Energy Day today (15th November) – a new briefing from Beyond Fossil Fuels reveals the stark overbuild of gas power plants across six EU countries that threatens to undermine their climate commitments and lock-in fossil fuels for decades.
More Gas on Borrowed Time: Where Europe’s Climate Pledges and Gas Power Plans Collide, reveals European nations currently plan to add 80 gigawatts (GW) of new gas power capacity, an increase of 32% compared to current capacity.
Italy, the UK, and Germany – already responsible for 45% of Europe’s gas power capacity – are planning half of these additions despite having pledged to decarbonise their electricity systems.
The UK’s clean power by 2030 target is the most ambitious, and the country’s National Energy System Operator (NESO) confirmed last week that it is achievable without expanding the gas fleet capacity beyond 2023 levels.
Italy and Germany have also pledged to decarbonise their power sectors by 2035. However, all three countries lack concrete plans for how to stop burning fossil gas at their 931 gas power units, let alone new ones in development.
Of the 855 European gas power plants listed in the Beyond Fossil Fuels European gas power plant database, only four have retired since January 2023, and just seven are announced to retire between now and 2035 – the date by which the International Energy Agency says wealthy economies should decarbonise their power sectors to contribute to a Paris-aligned global Net Zero emissions transition.
“We didn’t enter the digital age by bulk buying typewriters, and we won’t build a clean power system by constructing so many new gas plants,” said Alexandru Mustață, Campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels.
“Europe’s plans for new gas power infrastructure are dangerously out of step with its climate targets. This overbuild risks locking us into decades of fossil fuel dependence – a path that leads straight to climate chaos. Governments must bring their gas power plans in line with the need to replace fossil fuels with renewables, grids and storage in Europe’s power system by 2035.”
In Central and Eastern Europe, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria – already lagging on their coal phase-outs – are doubling down on fossil fuels as they prepare to collectively increase their gas plant capacity from 9 to 24 GW.
Many of these projects are subsidised with taxpayer money, and/or financed through the EU’s Modernisation Fund [6] and Recovery and Resilience Facility, which are intended to help countries modernise their power systems and make their economies more sustainable.
The briefing not only reveals an aggressive expansion of gas plant capacity, but also significant underinvestment in clean flexibility solutions such as grids, storage or demand side response essential for the functioning of a renewables-based power system.
Instead, investments are being funnelled into gas exploration and extraction, along with midstream gas infrastructure such as pipelines, Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminals, and Floating Storage Regasification Units (FSRUs). These projects threaten to deepen Europe’s dependence on imported fossil fuels from hostile regimes and divert critical funds away from renewables, grids and storage.
