Belchatow Faces Uncertain Future as Europe’s Largest Coal Plant Prepares to Close

In Belchatow, Poland, the PGE coal-fired power plant, Europe’s largest and one of the world’s top polluters, has powered local industries and provided 20% of Poland’s electricity for decades. With EU-driven goals pushing its closure by 2036, the city of 55,000 braces for significant economic shifts. Efforts to retrain workers for “green collar” jobs and build renewable energy projects are underway, though residents worry about a lack of clarity on future job prospects. The transition’s impact is already visible: youth are increasingly leaving Belchatow, and a new wave of political support has emerged for Patryk Marjan, the city’s first far-right mayor, who campaigned against the EU’s Green Deal. Locals express concern over the region’s future, and some fear the city could lose its vitality and identity post-coal, with some joking it could become “churches and kebab shops.” The question remains whether Belchatow can secure an economically sustainable future in the clean energy era.