Stockholm — Burning discarded clothing from retail chain H&M is helping a Swedish power plant replace coal for good. The combined heat and power station in Västerås, north-west of Stockholm, is converting from oil- and coal-fired generation to become a fossil fuel-free facility by 2020. This means burning recycled wood and trash, including clothes H&M can’t sell. "For us it’s a burnable material," said Jens Neren, head of fuel supplies at Mälarenergi, a utility which owns and operates the 54-year-old plant about 100km from Stockholm. "Our goal is to use only renewable and recycled fuels." While Sweden prides itself on an almost entirely emission-free power system thanks to its nuclear, wind and hydro-plants, some local municipalities still use coal and oil to heat homes and offices during cold winter days.
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