UK shuts down its last coal power station

LONDON: Britain was the birthplace of coal power, the first country to build a coal-fired power station. It is now the first major economy to give it up.

The last coal plant standing in the UK at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire finished operations at midnight on Monday after powering the UK since 1967.

The UK will now no longer use coal to generate electricity — ending its 142-year reliance on the fossil fuel — marking a major milestone in the country’s journey to net zero.

The first public coal-fired power station in the world opened at London’s Holborn Viaduct in 1882, built by Thomas Edison’s Edison Electric Light Company.

“This will be the first time since 1882 that coal has not powered Great Britain,” said Michael Lewis, CEO of Düsseldorf-based international energy company Uniper , which owns Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe has been a pillar of the UK’s energy security for decades and its cooling towers are an iconic site in the region. Built during a time when coal was the backbone of industrial progress, Ratcliffe powered over two million (20 lakh) homes and businesses — equivalent to the entire East Midlands region. It played a crucial role in boosting economic growth and supporting the livelihoods of thousands of people.

“As we close this chapter, we honour Ratcliffe’s legacy and the people working here, while embracing the future of cleaner and flexible energy. Uniper aims to invest in technologies like CCS (carbon, capture and storage), renewables, and hydrogen. The goal is to decarbonize our remaining power assets and to deliver low-carbon fuel as well as green and reliable energy to our customers,” Lewis said.

Ratcliffe’s countdown to closure began in 2015, when UK govt announced plans to end UK coal power generation. The govt confirmed the October 2024 end date in 2020.

A local development order has been passed granting permission to turn the power station site into a low-carbon energy generation and advanced manufacturing space.

Coal powered the industrial revolution, which began in Great Britain in the middle of the 18th century. The first coal mine in India was established by the British East India Company in Raniganj Coalfield, West Bengal, in 1774. Now, the UK has become the first major economy to end coal power and lead the world in moving away from fossil fuels and decarbonizing energy systems.

Coal, considered to be the dirtiest fossil fuel and the world’s largest source of carbon emissions, accounted for only 1.8% of the UK’s electricity mix in 2020, compared with 40% almost decade ago.

“It is an emotional day for me and the team,” Peter O’Grady, plant manager, said.

“When I started my career 36 years ago, none of us imagined a future without coal generation in our lifetimes. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together over the years and to be part of this energy milestone, as the country focuses on a cleaner energy future,” O’Grady said.

In January, all four of Ratcliffe’s 500MW units ran together for the last time. In June, the last delivery of coal by train arrived, carrying the final 1,650 tonnes shipment from the port of Immingham in Lincolnshire to the site. The percentage of the UK’s energy from renewables has grown significantly over the last 10 years — from 10.7% in 2014 to 39.5% in 2023.

Michael Shanks, UK’s minister for energy, said, “The era of coal might be ending, but a new age of good energy jobs for our country is just beginning.”