The UK has closed its last coal-fired power station, thus positioning itself as the world’s first major economy to be free from coal power. The Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant near Nottingham, which had been operational for 57 years, shut down on 30 September meaning that the UK has now concluded its 142-year reliance on coal. The shift away from coal became more obvious as renewables began to take over. From generating just 7% of the nation’s power in 2010, renewables increased to 50% in 2024 with this growth making the shift from coal so rapid that the closure of the last coal plant was brought forward by a year.
Michael Shanks, Energy Minister, commenting on the closure of the power plant, said:
“Today’s closure at Ratcliffe marks the end of an era, and coal workers can take pride in their role in powering our country for over 140 years. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.”
The shift from traditional energy sources to renewables has already had a substantial impact in the UK. From 2012 to 2023, emissions in the UK’s power sector declined significantly, falling from 158 megatonnes of CO2 equivalents to just 41 megatonnes. Since 2021, this decline has averted the release of around 880 million tonnes of emissions, a figure that is more than double the total emissions in the UK in 2023. Frankie Mayo, a senior analyst at Ember, said:
“The UK has achieved a monumental shift in its power system from being a major polluter to one where renewables flourish, in an impressively brief timeframe.”
Despite the environmental benefits, however, the transition away from coal raises questions about the stability of power generation. Coal’s reliability contrasts with renewables such as solar and wind energy, which are reliant on meteorological conditions. Kayte O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer at the Energy System Operator, noted that the country will need innovation to maintain grid stability and ensure a secure power supply. According to Dr Sylwia Walus from the Faraday Institution, a key part of this future is battery technology which has seen significant progress in recent years. She noted the focus is now on making batteries more viable and cost-effective.
Fig.1. How renewables and gas have displaced coal
Source: BBC
Fig.2. At its peak in the 1920s the UK coal industry employed almost 1.2 million people
Source: BBC
Back in 1882, the UK launched the world’s first coal-fired power plant, a project that was initiated by Thomas Edison. This plant not only illuminated London’s streets but also powered its industrial boom.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, coal continued to be the UK’s major energy source and employed over 1.2 million people at its peak. Despite its decline which began in the 1990s as natural gas took over, it remained a significant part of the UK’s energy mix for almost two more decades and in 2012, coal still accounted for 39% of the country’s power generation. However, increased concerns over climate change and global warming, together with environmental pressure, led the UK Government to set ambitious legally binding climate targets in 2008. In 2015, Amber Rudd, then Secretary of Energy and Climate Change, declared the UK’s commitment to phasing out coal power.
