UK Closes Last Coal-Fired Power Plant, Ending 142 Years of Coal Energy Use

Photo : AP

London: On Monday, Britain’s final coal-fired power station will cease operations, bringing an end to 142 years of coal-generated electricity in the country that gave birth to the Industrial Revolution. The closure marks a significant milestone in the UK's shift towards renewable energy sources and its goal of carbon neutrality.

The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, located in central England, will finish its final shift at midnight. The plant, which has been operational for more than half a century, has played a vital role in the country’s energy supply. Its eight massive concrete cooling towers and 199-meter (650-foot) chimney are iconic landmarks, visible to millions of people driving along the M1 highway or passing by on trains. The station has been a fixture of the landscape since its opening in 1968.

Uniper, the energy company that owns the Ratcliffe plant, stated that while the plant is closing, many of its 170 employees will remain during the two-year decommissioning process. This gradual process will involve dismantling the plant’s infrastructure and ensuring that the site is safely managed during the transition.

The UK government has hailed the closure as a major achievement in the country’s efforts to eliminate coal from its energy mix and shift towards renewable sources like wind, solar, and nuclear energy. Energy Minister Michael Shanks commented on the closure, calling it "the end of an era" for coal workers who have powered Britain for over a century. "We owe generations of coal workers a debt of gratitude as a country," Shanks said, adding, "While the era of coal might be ending, a new age of energy jobs is just beginning."

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The closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar is part of the UK's larger goal of generating all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. With coal's role in energy generation now reduced to just 1%, the country has made significant progress in its transition. In 1990, coal accounted for 80% of Britain's electricity generation. By 2012, this figure had dropped to 39%, and by 2023, it had plummeted to only 1%, according to data from the National Grid. Currently, more than half of Britain’s electricity is produced from renewable sources, with the remainder coming from natural gas and nuclear energy.

The UK's push to phase out coal has made it the first country among the Group of Seven (G7) major economies to do so. However, other European nations, such as Sweden and Belgium, were quicker to achieve this goal. Nonetheless, Britain’s achievement is seen as an important step in combating climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

The closure of coal-fired plants is a reflection of broader trends in the energy sector, as countries around the world seek to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Dhara Vyas, deputy chief executive of Energy UK, the country’s leading trade association for the energy industry, said, "Ten years ago, coal was the leading source of this country’s power, generating a third of our electricity. To get to this point just a decade later, with coal's contribution replaced by clean and low-carbon sources, is an incredible achievement." She emphasized that this rapid transition shows that ambitious energy goals are possible with the right strategies in place.

The journey of coal-generated electricity in the UK began in 1882 when Thomas Edison’s Edison Electric Light Station, the world’s first coal-fired power plant, opened in London. Since then, coal played a pivotal role in powering Britain’s industrial growth and everyday life for over a century. However, as the global push to tackle climate change gained momentum, the reliance on coal has steadily diminished.

While the closure of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant signals the end of coal’s role in Britain's energy production, it also underscores the growing importance of renewable energy sources in shaping the future of the country’s power generation. With this latest milestone, Britain is now poised to lead the way in sustainable energy solutions, setting an example for other nations to follow as they transition to a greener and more sustainable energy future.