Activists entered the power plant, and Greenpeace climbers hung a banner from Genoa's landmark "Torre della Lanterna" lighthouse. At the same time, activists from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise painted "Quit Coal" and "No Carbone" on the Ukrainian cargo ship Aristea, as it offloaded coal at the port.

The plant, built in 1928, was due to shut down in 2002, but the previous Italian government, under Silvio Berlusconi, granted it an extension until 2020, directly undermining the Liguria authorities. Enel insists it will keep the plant open until this date. Enel is Italy's single biggest climate polluter, and is responsible for nearly a third of all CO2 emissions coming from Italian electricity production.

"The Genoa plant is way past its retirement age. Keeping it open directly contributes to the climate crisis and to local pollution," said Francesco Tedesco, Greenpeace Italy climate and energy campaigner. "The regional government has made it clear that it wants Enel to close the plant down, and Greenpeace is here today to make sure Enel listens."

The Liguria regional government's energy plan is one of the few in Italy to be applauded.(1) Greenpeace is encouraging it to push through its renewable energy plans.

"It is scandalous that Enel ignores the requests of the Liguria authorities," said Agnes de Rooij, Greenpeace International climate and energy campaigner. "There is no excuse for keeping this massively polluting coal-fired power plant open, especially when clean, safe wind and solar power are able to produce the same amount of electricity."

Today's protests are part of a four-month tour by the Greenpeace ships Rainbow Warrior and Arctic Sunrise. Bringing the "Quit Coal" message to the Mediterranean and Europe, the expedition is happening in the run-up to crucial UN climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland, this December.

Quitting coal will be essential to a meaningful deal to save the climate. European governments must show leadership by phasing-out coal in their own countries. Greenpeace's Energy [R]evolution shows how renewable energy, combined with greater energy efficiency, can cut global CO2 emissions by 50% and deliver half the world's energy needs by 2050.