UK's last coal-fired power station closes

The last coal-fired power station in the UK, Ratcliffe-on Soar, Nottinghamshire, is set to burn its last coal today (30 September 2024), having been in operation since 1967. The UK becomes the world's first major economy to end its reliance on coal for producing energy.

The UK built the world's first ever coal-fired power station in 1882 - the Holborn Viaduct power station in London.

It's a remarkable transformation. In the 1980s, coal provided 80% of the UK's electricity, whilst even in 2012, almost 40% of the UK's power was still being generated using coal. Coal is the dirtiest of the fossil fuels, producing almost double the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by gas to create the same amount of energy.

If coal's downfall has been rapid, so has the growth of renewable energy. In 2010, just 10% of the UK's energy came from renewable energy. In 2024, renewables are producing over 50% of our energy.

Photo: Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, taken by Peter Sampson.

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