Britain’s nearly 150-year dependence on coal power came to an end last night.
The last remaining coal-fired power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar near Nottingham, switched off its generators for the last time at midnight.
This symbolic moment makes Britain the first G7 country to close all its coal-fired power stations.
It amounts to an end to 142 years of Britain’s dependence on fossil fuels to generate electricity.
France will phase out coal by 2027, Canada by 2030, the US by 2035 and Germany only plans to stop burning lignite – the most polluting fossil fuel – in 2038.
However, Britain is not the first in Europe: Sweden and Belgium have both already closed their coal-fired power stations.
The last remaining coal-fired power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar near Nottingham, switched off its generators for the final time at midnight.
The closure will end 142 years of Britain’s dependence on fossil fuels to generate electricity
This symbolic moment makes Britain the first G7 country to close all its coal-fired power stations
Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station has been generating electricity since 1968 through four coal-fired boilers, eight huge cooling towers and a 199 meter high chimney, which takes pride of place in the East Midlands skyline.
It can power around two million homes and became the last power station of its kind in Britain since September 2023, when Northern Ireland’s Kilroot power station stopped producing electricity from coal.
Many of the 170 employees of the plant’s owner, Uniper, will stay on to help with the two-year decommissioning process.
The closure of Ratcliffe puts an end to the country’s use of coal for electricity, which started with the Holborn Viaduct power station in London in 1882, the first of its kind in the world, and opened by electricity pioneer and inventor Thomas Edison.
Coal came to play an important role in national energy supplies throughout the 20th century, accounting for around 80 percent of the UK’s energy supply in 1990, falling to 39 percent in 2012.
Since then, 15 coal-fired power stations have closed or switched fuels and fossil fuels made up just 1 percent of Britain’s supply last year, according to data from National Grid’s Electricity System Operator.
Meanwhile, renewables, especially wind and solar, now make up more than half of the mix, according to government statistics.
Gas has also played a role in the transition: from 28 percent of the energy mix in 2012 to 34 percent last year.
Dhara Vyas, deputy chief executive of Energy UK, said: ‘Ten years ago, coal was this country’s main source of energy, generating a third of our electricity.
“So to get to this point just ten years later, with coal’s contribution replaced by clean and low-carbon sources, is an incredible achievement.
‘As we strive for further ambitious goals in the energy transition, it is worth remembering that few at the time thought such change was possible at such a pace.’
The power station has taken a prominent place in the East Midlands skyline
Many of the 170 employees of Uniper, the plant’s owner, will stay on to help with the two-year decommissioning process.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station under construction in 1964
Coal played an important role in national energy supply throughout the 20th century, accounting for around 80 percent of the UK’s energy supply in 1990 (photo: Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in 1966).
But next comes the much bigger task of significantly reducing gas use and further increasing renewables, as the newly elected Labor government aims to achieve net zero emissions from electricity generation by 2030.
The first steps included setting up a new state-owned energy investment company, GB Energy, and lifting a de facto ban on new onshore wind projects in the planning system in England.
The government also awarded contracts in early September for a new wave of green energy projects, including onshore and offshore wind and solar farms, which officials said will generate enough power for 11 million homes, in its annual auction.
Energy Secretary Michael Shanks said: “Today’s closure of Ratcliffe marks the end of an era and coal workers can be rightly proud of their work that has powered our country for more than 140 years. As a country, we owe generations of gratitude.
“The age of coal may be coming to an end, but a new era of good energy jobs for our country is just beginning. The superpower’s clean energy mission is about creating good jobs in wind energy and new technologies like carbon capture and storage.”
The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station can power around two million homes and became the last power station of its kind in Britain as of September 2023
Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station has been generating electricity from its four coal-fired boilers since 1968
But the era of coal is not over yet.
According to energy analysis company Ember, the use of coal to generate electricity increased by 1.1% last year.
This was mainly caused by China, which accounted for 54.9 percent of global coal production.
The International Energy Agency has warned that the world must stop burning coal by 2040 to halt global warming of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. China’s official plan is to still get about 20 percent of its energy from fossil fuels by 2060.