Britain’s last remaining coal-fired power station is set to close later this month, bringing an end to the nation’s 142-year reliance on the fossil fuel to create electricity.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar, owned by German-based Uniper, is due to fire up for the last time on September 30, having served as Britain’s final coal power station since September 2023.
This will mean Britain is no longer reliant on coal to produce electric power, which was first accomplished in 1882 when Thomas Edison's Holborn Viaduct coal plant started generating electricity for public use.
Ratcliffe itself, which is based in the East Midlands and is able to power up to two million homes, opened in 1968, with Britain relying mainly on coal for power during the last century.
Come 1990, some 80% of Britain’s power came from coal, with this falling to 39% in 2012 and just 1% last year.
Some 15 coal-fired power stations have been closed or converted to use other fuels in that time, with Ratcliffe’s closure set to see Britain become the first among G7 nations to entirely scrap the fuel.
“As we aim for further ambitious targets in the energy transition, it’s worth remembering that few back then thought such a change at such a pace was possible,” Energy UK deputy chief executive Dhara Vyas commented.