The Centrale thermique d’Hornaing was a coal-fired power plant built in 1958 in the heart of northern France’s former mining region. Designed to convert coal into electricity using steam turbines, it supplied power to surrounding towns and industries for several decades. Its tall chimneys became a familiar landmark in the flat industrial landscape of the Nord–Pas-de-Calais.

As energy policies changed and coal became less viable, the plant gradually lost its role in the national grid. Electricity production ended in 2013, and the site was later shut down completely. Today, the silent structures remain as a clear reminder of the region’s industrial and mining heritage, marking the transition from coal-based power to a different energy future.