Strategy consultants argue repurposing coal capacity should feature in emerging market transitions

In an article for the World Economic Forum, experts from the consulting arm of Accenture, the professional services company, argue that repurposing coal power plants in developing economies is a critical component of the economic adjustment that the transition requires. According to the article, the main challenge of moving developing country energy ecosystems away from coal is that the removed capacity needs to be replaced and the broader community effects, such as labor market shocks, need to be mitigated. The article states: “Despite being still a nascent practice, repurposing coal power plants with renewable energy has been successfully deployed from a technology, financing and just transition perspective across a number of companies and geographies.” Repurposing could also serve the broader just transition agenda, given the expected benefits it brings to multiple stakeholders, most notably the workforce in coal power plants.