RWE has decided to mothball the Claus C CCGT power plant, located in Maasbracht in the Netherlands, from 1 July 2014 onwards. As from this date, the plant will no longer be available to the electricity market. With an efficiency of just under 60%, the Claus C plant is one of the most modern plants of its kind. It was commissioned in 2012 and has a capacity of over 1,300 MW. Block A (610 MW) had already been mothballed at the beginning of last year and this latest decision means that no electricity will be produced at the site until the political and economic framework in continental Europe makes this viable again. Low operating hours plus an extremely low wholesale price have made the operation of this plant unprofitable. This is mainly a consequence of the German energy transition, which is forcing renewable energy onto the Dutch grid. Against this backdrop, it was decided to discontinue the plant's operation for the time being. The network operator has been informed of this measure. New opportunities for Claus C might arise from its favourable position close to the Belgian border.
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