Crowdfunding campaign to shut Amsterdam coal plant tops €5 million

A crowdfunding campaign to close the Amsterdam coal plant on Hemweg collected over 5 million euros. Over 41 thousand people and organizations supported the campaign.

At 10:20 a.m. on Monday the campaign raised 5,085,395 euros from 41,547 supporters. The objective of the campaign is to buy the Hemweg plant from owner Nuon and then close it. 

The campaign was initiated by renewable energy supplier Vandebron, Triodos Bank, Foundation DOEN, Greenpeace and residents' group Hete Kolen. The municipality of Amsterdam also offered to contribute 1 million euros on a number of conditions. 

Nuon calculated that it would cost around 55 million euros to close the coal-fired plant, the largest proportion of which will be needed for a social plan for redundant employees. But according to Arnoud Kamerbeek, energy expert and former chairman of Zeeland energy company Delta, closing the Hemweg plant will actually cost closer to 10 million euros. 

According to AT5, Hemweg is Nuon's only remaining coal-fired power plant in the Netherlands.