Spanish greenhouse gas emissions generated by the power sector rose in August despite weak demand for electricity due to coal-fired plants working harder, the World Wide Fund for Nature said. The environmental group said Spain's power plants emitted 224 kg of carbon dioxide last month for every megawatt-hour they generated, a rise of 8.7% from July and of 122% from March, when wind and hydro power output were high. Total emissions from generating plants in August were 0.2% more than in July, although data from national grid operator REE show that demand for power meanwhile fell by 7.7%.

Spain's government subsidises the domestic coal industry because it cannot compete with cheaper and higher quality imports, but says locally produced coal is needed to ensure power supplies and cut dependence on fuel imports. WWF recalled that the European Union is currently mulling approval of a Spanish decree that would require utilities to burn domestic coal. "It is not sustainable to keep artificially maintaining a technology which is not profitable, neither economically nor due to its CO2 emissions."

WWF spokeswoman Mar Asuncion said in a statement. Due to delays in approving the government's aid plans, Spanish mines have been unable to sell coal since February and some have not paid miners for two months.

(Sourced from Reuters)