UK, Once a Coal Pioneer, Now Shutting Its Last Plant

By the end of this month, the United Kingdom plans to close its last remaining coal-fired power station.

The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire is scheduled to cease operations on September 30th, marking the end of an era of coal power in the UK. This move aligns with the nation’s climate goals as it transitions away from the fossil fuel industry that it once pioneered.

Commissioned in 1967, the power plant received its final coal delivery in June. With a capacity of 2,000 megawatts, the facility has been capable of powering approximately two million homes, according to its owner, Uniper. During its operational years, the plant generated enough energy to make over 21 trillion cups of tea, or roughly one billion cups daily, as reported by Uniper.

Uniper has announced intentions to transition the site for hydrogen production rather than coal power. However, the decommissioning process will take approximately two years and will require 125 staff members to remain on site.

Hydrogen production is currently dominated by steam methane reforming, a process that still results in greenhouse gas emissions. A cleaner alternative is electrolysis, which uses renewable energy to split water molecules. Uniper has expressed interest in employing electrolysis at the former coal plant, aiming for a production capacity of 500 megawatts by the end of the decade. This redevelopment could potentially create up to 8,000 jobs.

Despite the decline in the UK, coal continues to account for more than a third of global electricity generation, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. In the UK, coal-fired power generation has significantly decreased from nearly 40 percent in 2012 to just 1 percent by 2023. The reduction in coal usage has led to a 74 percent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector during this period, with wind and solar energy sources increasingly replacing coal.

The UK’s Climate Change Act of 2008 set a path for phasing out coal as part of its ambition to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. With the closure of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, the UK will become the first advanced economy and Group of 7 nation to eliminate coal power, as highlighted by climate change think tank E3G.

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