Can we decarbonise coal power without stranding investments, firing workforces and ditching grid hook-ups, permits and equipment?
The answer is : YES!
Dear World,
In the last quarter, we felt the ground shift.
- Poland’s Ministry of Energy have released a Coal-to-Nuclear strategy for Poland’s future energy system.
- ‘Repowering’ is now an official option for investors in Indonesia’s National Energy Policy
- In Suzhou, China, a first-of-its-kind 1,000 MWh coal power and molten salt energy storage project entered operation.
Governments, utilities, and finance alike are clocking that reusing coal power infrastructure makes an excellent bedrock for the Just Transition.
Our vast, invaluable energy system took over a century to construct.
We can generate clean power and heat by adapting what we have already.
Repower’s international partnerships, events, research, and RepowerScore accelerate us to a peaceful, carbon-free future – for us and those to come.
Keep the Kit & Quit the Coal
This newsletter brings you our latest updates from Q4, with a taster of what to look forward to in 2026. Enjoy!
🗺️ Global Updates
Repower Initiative has brought together 100+ people who are now thinking together, and sharing insights across borders.
Our diverse and multi-disciplinary global network includes scientists, energy transition experts, diplomats, financiers, policy makers, technology developers, academics, researchers, climate campaigners and more.
Here’s what we’re working on:
CHINA | Beijing Workshop, and CEEC intrigued by coal-to-nuclear
Bryony Worthington, Repower Founder:
“When China decides to look into a topic, they do it with depth, with great expertise and in multiple parallel ways. Between a quarter and a half, of China’s coal resources could be repowered in some way. That’s a massive opportunity. If we can get the UK and China together creating a new solution for these energy challenges, I think that will be a gift to everybody.”
Repower Beijing Workshop | Clean Energy Transition at the Coal Plant Level
A special workshop, co-hosted by the British Embassy Beijing, gathered together speakers from organisations including CHN Energy, CEEC, Xiamen and Tsinghua University to outline scalable paths for “退而不废” (retreating without abandoning) coal assets.
The event was led by our China Liaison, Ms. Qian WuChinese experts presented real-world repowering projects, such as a molten salt thermal energy storage (TES) plant in Suzhou, a breakthrough in combined-heat-and-power tech. 2 molten salt tanks integrated with a coal boiler steam cycle, are now cutting carbon emissions by 85,000 tonnes a year.Representatives from CEEC (a state-owned energy conglomerate) discussed analyses of the Coal-to-Nuclear (C2N) pathway, which have been published in Southern Energy Construction, a highly respected journal for Chinese industry.
These studies recommend that “C2N can directly achieve capacity substitution, reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, and significantly reduce the construction cost of nuclear power”
China has 990 CFPPs currently operational – over half of the world’s total. 73% of Chinese coal units are combined heat and power (CHP) capacity. To replace them requires a clean alternative for both electricity and heat.Repowering one standard 660MW subcritical Chinese CFPP with high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor units could reduce coal consumption by around 2.54 million tons per year. The Repower World Summit 2026 will be in Beijing.
China – Highlighted Resources
China’s Coal-to-Clean strategy
INDONESIA
💥 Repower Indonesia launch, and Focus Group Discussion in Jakarta.
It was a lively Asian expedition for Albert and Georg (pictured, presenting). The same week they were in Beijing, they also flew to Jakarta for a Focus Group Discussion and the official launch of Repower Indonesia. The event was hosted by our academic partners from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia’s leading technical university.
Albert and Georg presenting an ‘Introduction to Global Coal Repowering’
Event Takeaways:
⭐ Tanjung Jati B’s coal boiler can be replaced with a Chinese High-Temperate Gas-cooled Reactor, due to compatible steam parameters
⭐ A ‘Repower National Task Force’ (Pokja) has been proposed for 2026 to coordinate programs and policy frameworks for a pilot project
⭐ PLN formally endorses nuclear-based repowering at the directorate level
Albert Payaró-Llisterri, Repower Programme Manager:
“In the two years since we started our collaboration, the ITB-led repowering project has successfully demonstrated a pre-feasibility techno-economic study of repowering the Tanjung Jati B coal plant.‘
Repowering’ is now included in Indonesia’s National Energy Policy (KEN), the National Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUKN), and in the latest Nationally Determined Contribution submitted to the IPCC, thanks to the endeavours of our fantastic Indonesian team.”
Indonesia Integrates Repowering into National Energy Policy
⭐ Recognition from the International Atomic Energy Agency
Repower featured in landmark G20 report on Coal-to-Nuclear transitions
Part of the United Nations, the IAEA is one of the world’s most influential institutions in climate and energy policy.The IAEA published a report in partnership with South Africa’s 2025 G20 Presidency: ‘Coal to Nuclear: Supporting a Clean Energy Transition’.
We were elated to be listed as one of six “relevant initiatives” for our global efforts, and broad portfolio of coal-to-clean replacement technologies. The work of our Polish academic partners in DEsire is also prominently showcased, and rightly so! See the POLAND section (below) on DEsire and their research.
| Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity and Energy, Republic of South Africa:“Repowering these coal sites with nuclear energy enables us to reduce the cost and environmental burden of building new long-distance transmission lines, maintains grid stability in a constrained system, and supports regional economic revitalisation.We view the coal-to-nuclear transition as not simply a technological option, but a strategic imperative.” |
🖥️ Spotlight Video – ‘Global Pathways for Coal Repowering’
| To mark the release of the report, the IAEA hosted a a webinar on the macroeconomic and socioeconomic benefits of transforming coal sites into clean energy hubs. Repower co-founder, Dr. Staffan Qvist was invited as a panellist. |
| STAFFAN: “The value of coal repowering in most cases is often the social aspects of retaining local economic activity, and the value of the grid interconnection itself. Overhead powerlines and transmission substations are already on a coal power site.” 👉 Watch Staffan’s Presentation |
POLAND
💡Ministry of Energy back research by our network
| DEsire have been our esteemed partners-in-prime since Staffan Qvist, Łukasz Bartela, Paweł Gładysz, and Anna Sowiżdżał first joined forces on an academic paper in 2020. Everything that Repower has done sprung up from that initial project, and it is beautiful to see all that DEsire have achieved in Poland since we began.Poland’s Ministry of Energy recently published the “Plan of decarbonisation of the domestic power industry through modernization with the use of nuclear reactors”. This recommendatory Plan is the conclusion of all the activities and interim reports from the DEsire project (2022-2025). It details goals, methods and practical actions to implement the coal-to-nuclear (C2N) pathway in Poland. The text is Polish, an official English translation is scheduled for early 2026. 👉 Read the original publication |
| Poland has been coal-dependent for centuries. Coal underpins electricity transmission, district heating and industry. Many highly-skilled local workers and their communities could go into economic recession if their coal plants are simply closed down, so we must find a better way forward. |
| “The C2N pathway offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to balance our economy with ecology, as it unleashes innovation, generates jobs, modernises infrastructure, and protects the climate.By steadfastly moving forwards with this Plan, Poland will not only fulfil its climate commitments, but also provide for its citizens a state-of-the-art, secure energy system, that stands upon our country’s own robust national foundations.” |
👉 See also: The End of Coal, the Rise of the Atom: Repowering Poland |
REPOWER SCORE
In RepowerScore, we’re scoring every CFPP and ~10,000 coal power plant units (using Global Energy Monitor data) for how suitable they are to transition to various clean energy technologies, including next-gen geothermal, concentrated solar power, advanced nuclear and now, as a brand new pathway:
Thermal Energy Storage
TES is most economically viable in countries where variable renewable energy takes up a large percentage of the energy mix, and there is a higher volatility in the energy price. Sites which currently provide heat in addition to power, score higher on the TES pathway.
This presents a unique opportunity for TES repowering.
Who benefits from using this Tool:
• Utility owning CFPPS: Choose a pathway and compare your fleet to discern which units have the best conditions for future study.
• Tech Developers: Find compatible sites to make sales proposals.
• Governments and politicians: Enhance policy and investment decisions by learning how CFPPs in your country/region are impacted by local conditions.Or if you’re generally curious, just have a play around! RepowerScore is freely available anywhere in the world, and we warmly encourage you to try it out. Tell us your suggestions on how to improve it even further!
🌐 repower.world
Like a pile of coal ash pile swept away, so we dispensed with our website that was… As if repowered by a dry rock geothermal well, a fount of fresh energy rises up.
Our revitalised site design is clean, green, and future-ready.Now easier than ever to browse our research, tools, news, reports and newsletters.
SOUTH KOREA
Partnering with academics at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Replacing South Korea’s energy production with renewables means tripling the electrical transmission lines, and land space is not readily available. To phase out coal generation share to 14.4% by 2036, South Korea must increase its take-up of carbon-free/low emission technologies, without reducing overall generation capacity.As deliverables for 2026, scientists at KAIST (arguably the most prestigious Science & Technology in S. Korea) are studying how to replace coal boilers with molten-salt thermal energy storage (TES) systems.
TES systems technically match low-carbon heat sources (such as nuclear) with the steam cycle and condenser cooling systems of coal plants.We need better characterisations of the properties of molten salts, and KAIST’s new ‘glove box’ is unboxed and producing pleasing results so far.
🔬 New Research Focus: Hydrogen/Ammonia Co-Firing
At Repower we are ‘Coal-to-X’; open to many tech options that boost us beyond coal. Little is known about coal-to-hydrogen & ammonia; the cost analysis comparisons, the emission reduction potential… We’ve got KAIST’s top specialists on the case!
👉Evaluation of Coal Repowering Option with Small Modular Reactor in South Korea
Climate Week NYC 2025
Staffan and Bryony flew the Repower flag at Climate Week NYC. They met with financiers and ESG leaders, securing support to step up our operations.In 2026, China will be where we concentrate our fire!
What Else Is Going On!
📖 Resources Revamped
In our humble opinion – we have one of the best online coal repowering resources available:
• 85 peer-reviewed reports authored by Repower partners and other research institutions
• 80+ blog/news posts, written in-house with support from our erudite academic partners
• 13 Videos– Starring people with expertise
• 14 Presentations from our international events
Regular updates!
📰News, LinkedIn posts & Quarterly Newsletters
🚀 2026… and Beyond
2026 will be our most impactful year yet. We’re expand our network and programme to accelerate worldwide coal repowering.
🌏In the spring, we voyage to China to host our 5th International Repower Summit and strengthen our alliance with Tsinghua University (China’s “MIT”).
🔢 RepowerScore is already an exceptional tool. Our highly capable developers are adding in ‘Renewable Energy Interconnect’ as a pathway, and are assembling a custom Chinese version.
🔬 Deep in the KAIST labs in South Korea, a ‘supercritical CO2 power cycle for molten salt TES system’ test facility will be powered up.
🏭 Case studies for specific Southeast Asian CFPPs are being indagated. Global studies, inclusive events, fresh collaborations…
Much to look forward to!
Partnerships
We would love to partner with anyone who is interested in advancing this innovative, decarbonisation solution.
Are you a researcher seeking funding? Or for example, do you work for a utility that owns a CFPP, that are looking at individual coal plant transition strategies?
We want to talk with you!
Get Involved
Subscribe to our newsletter mailing list – if you’re not on it already!
Email us at news@repower.world – we’re very chatty
Donate – Vox say that we are one of the “most high-impact, cost-effective, evidence-based organisations for fighting climate change effectively” 😊
If this newsletter has inspired you in some way, pass it on, share it with your wider network, and let’s get this momentum snowballing! ⛄
❄️Wishing you all a jolly holiday season❄️
See you in 2026!