Major Australian Coal-Fired Plant to Close Six Years Early (1)

One of Australia’s biggest coal-fired power plants plans to close six years earlier than previously announced.

The Gladstone Power Station will potentially retire when existing supplies and operational arrangements expire in March 2029, “although no final decision has been made,” majority shareholder Rio Tinto Plc said in a statement on Wednesday. The facility, operated by Houston-based NRG Energy Inc., had been slated to close in 2035.

Gladstone started operating in 1976 and is the largest power plant in Queensland state, representing more than 7% of Australia’s coal-generation capacity at 1,680 megawatts. Each year, approximately 4 million metric tons of coal ...