UK shutters final coal-fired power station

The UK was the first country in the world to host a coal-fired power plant, with London’s Holborn Viaduct power station opening in 1882. Closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire now marks the end of Britain’s coal era, as the country pivots to renewables and the Labour government targets a decarbonised grid by 2030. 

As recently as 2012, nearly 40 per cent of the UK’s electricity came from coal generation, according to climate think tank E3G. The intervening years have seen around a dozen coal-fired plants shut down across the country, with others such as Drax switching to alternative power sources such as biomass – though not without controversy.

Over that same period, the UK’s installed wind capacity has increased by 315 per cent, with solar generation also expanding rapidly and electricity demand falling. The overall effect has been a significant reduction in the carbon intensity of Britain’s grid - UK power sector emissions have declined by 74 per cent since 2012.

“The UK was the first country to build a coal fired power station. It is right that it is the first major economy to exit coal power,” said Ed Matthew, campaigns director at E3G.

“This is true global leadership, lighting the path for other countries to follow. The UK will now focus on rapidly eliminating unabated gas from its power system and oil from transport. The clean energy revolution is in full swing and the prize will be cheaper, more secure and less polluting power and a chance to end the climate crisis.”

Since the Paris Agreement of 2015, there has been a 70 per cent reduction in planned global coal capacity and the number of countries planning new coal has halved from 65 to 33. In 2017, the UK and Canada founded the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) to help accelerate the global transition away from coal. According to Julie Skorupska, head of Secretariat of the PPCA, the UK’s progress in particular can serve as a benchmark for other developed countries to follow.

“The UK has proven that it is possible to phase out coal power at unprecedented speed,” she said.

“One-third of all countries have committed to do the same when they joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance. Others will need to step up their efforts – but they don’t have to do it alone. The PPCA brings together governments, financial institutions and companies to help countries phase out coal and reap the benefits of the clean energy transition. We need to see ambitious new commitments as countries develop their new NDCs.”