The date for the closure of the two oldest coal-fired electricity plants in the Netherlands has been moved up by six years to 2024, economic affairs minister Eric Wiebes has said, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Saturday.

The remaining three coal-fired power plants must be shuttered or be converted to other fuels by the original date in 2030, Wiebes, who has climate in his portfolio, added.

RWE, owner of two of the coal-fired plants, said it was taken completely by surprise at the move and is considering taking legal steps.

Wiebes has acted quickly in forbidding the use of coal for electricity generation and backs the use of biomass as a fuel.

The two oldest coal-fired plants are the Hemweg-8 in Amsterdam owed by Nuon and RWE’s Amercentrale in Geertruidenberg, Noord-Brabant province. Nuon said earlier it is prepared to close the Hemweg plant by 2024 if a good social plan for workers is in place.