The UK’s last coal-fired power station has been closed. An era of 142 years has ended in the country.
The last operating coal-fired power station in the UK, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, owned by Germany’s Uniper and which has been in operation for 57 years, has closed near Nottingham.
“For many years, the plant has played a vital role in supplying electricity to the country. Since its commissioning, it has produced enough energy to make more than 21 billion cups of tea, and its 2 GW capacity is enough to power two million homes. And its eight iconic 114m high cooling towers are a key part of the East Midlands skyline.” – Uniper Reports.
The company noted that the countdown to Ratcliffe’s closure began in 2015, when the UK government announced plans to phase out coal-fired power generation over the next decade, eventually confirming a closure date of October 2024.
“In January this year, the four 500 MW units operated together for the last time. And in June the last shipment of coal arrived by rail, delivering 1,650 tonnes from the port of Immingham.” – added to Uniper. They predict that dismantling the plant will take two years.
According to National Grid: Live, coal’s share of electricity generation in the UK has fallen to 1.1% in 2023. While the majority came from wind (32.1%) and gas (26.6%) %). Nuclear energy represented 14.8%.
