List of active coal-fired power stations in the United Kingdom
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The Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire became the last station to close on 30 September 2024,[1] 142 years after the commissioning of the first coal power station in the UK (and the world), Thomas Edison's Holborn Viaduct power station.
Phase-out of coal in the United Kingdom
[edit]In November 2015, the UK Government announced that all the remaining fourteen coal-fired power stations would be closed by 2025.[2] In November 2017 the UK Government co-founded the Powering Past Coal Alliance. In June 2021, the government said it would end coal power by October 2024.[3][4]
The United Kingdom had continuously burned coal for the generation of electricity since the opening of Holborn Viaduct power station in 1882. On 21 April 2017, for the first time since 1882, the GB grid had a 24-hour period without any generation from coal power.[5] In May 2019 the GB grid went its first full week without any coal power.[6] In May 2020 the GB grid beat the previous record and did not use coal generation for over a month.[7]
At present, the use of coal power is decreasing to historic lows not seen since before the Industrial Revolution. Coal supplied just over 1% of UK electricity in 2023,[8] down from 30% in 2014.[9] In 2020, coal produced 4.4 TWh of electricity and Britain went 5,202 hours free from coal electricity generation, up from 3,665 hours in 2019 and 1,856 in 2018.[10]
List of fomer coal power stations
[edit]As of 30 September 2024[update], there are no active coal fired power stations in the United Kingdom.[11]
See also
[edit]- List of active gas fired power stations in the United Kingdom
- List of electricity interconnectors in the United Kingdom
- Coal mining in the United Kingdom
References
[edit]- ^ "GB Railfreight completes historic final coal delivery and names a locomotive 'Ratcliffe Power Station'". Uniper Energy. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ Gosden, Emily (18 November 2015). "UK coal plants must close by 2025, Amber Rudd announces". The Independent. London. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
- ^ "UK to end coal power by 2024". 30 June 2021.
- ^ "End to coal power brought forward to October 2024". gov.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "British power generation achieves first ever coal-free day". The Guardian. London. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "Britain passes one week without coal power for first time since 1882". The Guardian. London. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
- ^ "Britain hits coal-free month milestone as demand remains low". Current News. London. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ "Analysis: UK electricity from fossil fuels drops to lowest level since 1957". CarbonBrief. 21 February 2024 – via www.carbonbrief.org.
- ^ Evans, Simon (10 February 2016). "Countdown to 2025: Tracking the UK coal phase out". Carbon Brief. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
- ^ "Coal Tracker – MyGridGB".
- ^ Ambrose, Jillian (30 September 2024). "End of an era as Britain's last coal-fired power plant shuts down". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
