UK ends 142-year era of coal power, marking major shift in clean energy transition

The UK is set to mark a historic moment as it halts coal power production, ending over a century of reliance on the fossil fuel. On Monday, the country’s last operational coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, will cease operations after running for 57 years, signaling a significant step in the UK’s efforts to combat climate change, reported BBC.

Coal, which was once the backbone of the UK’s industrial revolution, will no longer be part of the nation’s electricity grid. Known for producing the highest levels of greenhouse gases, coal had been a critical energy source since the first coal-powered station, Holborn Viaduct in London, was built by inventor Thomas Edison in 1882.

“We owe generations a debt of gratitude as a country,” said Energy Minister Michael Shanks, adding that this transition marks a remarkable achievement. “The UK was the birthplace of coal power, and from tomorrow it becomes the first major economy to give it up.”

Lord Deben, the longest-serving environment secretary, reflected on the milestone, said, “It’s a really remarkable day, because Britain, after all, built her whole strength on coal, that is the industrial revolution.”

Through the early 20th century, coal dominated the UK’s energy mix, powering homes, industries, and businesses. However, by the 1990s, natural gas began to replace coal, although the fossil fuel remained vital to the grid until recent years. Even as late as 2012, coal generated 39% of the country’s electricity.

In 2008, the UK implemented its first legally binding climate targets, which aimed to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint. By 2015, the government declared its intent to phase out coal within a decade. Meanwhile, the growth of renewable energy increased. In 2010, renewables accounted for only 7% of the UK’s power but today, it has soared to over 50%, with renewable energy sources like wind and solar now producing the majority of the nation’s electricity. The shift allowed the UK to experience its first coal-free days in 2017.

Chris Smith, an environment and chemistry team member at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, who has worked at the plant for nearly three decades, spoke to BBC, calling closure bittersweet. “It is a very momentous day. The plant has always been running and we’ve always been doing our best to keep it operating…It is a very sad moment,” she told BBC.

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