Britain’s Last Coal Plant Closes After 57 Years, Marking the End of 140 Years of Coal Power

Coal power has been used in Britain for 142 years, which began in 1882 when the Holborn Viaduct power station became the first coal-fired power plant in history to generate electricity.

On Monday, the last coal-fired power station in Britain, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, located in Nottinghamshire, will produce electricity for the last time after operating for 57 years.

The power plant will close due to the international policy to cut out coal use, first announced almost ten years ago by the government.

Coal power has been used in Britain for 142 years, which began in 1882 when the Holborn Viaduct power station became the first coal-fired power plant in history to generate electricity.

The shutdown has been appreciated by green activists as an accomplishment of the government for reducing carbon emissions in the UK, showing leadership on climate change, and ensuring a transition for workers in the coal industry of Britain.

Michael Shanks, the energy minister, is grateful to the coal miners of Britain who have powered the United Kingdom for almost 140 years. Ratcliffe’s closure celebrates the end of an era and an opportunity to express gratitude for upcoming generations.  

The UK is the first country to implement an end date for coal power, set in 2025, after implementing strict green regulations to reduce the operating hours of its coal plants.

Before the UK hosted the UN’s COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in late 2021, ministers strengthened the country’s leadership in phasing out coal by proposing a one-year earlier deadline.

On Monday, the remaining 170 employees of Ratcliffe gathered in the canteen with a live stream displaying the shutting down of the control room of the power plant.

Ratcliffe’s plant manager, Peter O’Grady, is saddened by the factory’s closure and expecting tears as people depart and everything ends.

The coal plant in Britain used to employ 3,000 engineers, but recently, as its power output has decreased, so has employment. In the early 1980s, coal generated 80% of the electricity produced in the UK. By 2012, that percentage had dropped to 40%. In the last decade, coal has been slowly petering out due to carbon taxes and the increase in cheaper renewables.

It is the last phase of an extraordinarily rapid transition from the country that initiated the Industrial Revolution, according to Phil MacDonald, managing director of the global energy think tank Ember.

A report published by Ember found that the amount of coal used in OECD countries has decreased by 50% since reaching its high in 2007, and 17% of the electricity produced by the OECD in 2018 came from coal, but 27 of the 38 member states have promised to phase out coal use by the end of the decade.

The UK was the first country to set up a coal-fired power plant and the first major economy to move away from coal power. It demonstrates leadership by setting examples for other countries to proceed.

The potential of domestic renewable energy is to increase so the UK can move away from gas. Shifting to a greener economy needs to be fair and safeguard communities and employees.

Even though initially planned to close the plant in late 2022, Ratcliffe’s owner, Uniper, stated that due to a government agreement, it would keep the plant operating even during the gas crisis that erupted in Europe when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Uniper has helped numerous engineers find new jobs in other power plants or get into training that would help them develop skills to work in more industries. Over the next two years, more than 100 people will stay at the Britain plant to complete deactivation tasks.

Uniper CEO Michael Lewis states that Ratcliffe has been the foundation of the UK’s energy security for decades and was constructed when coal was the backbone of industrial development. Ratcliffe supplied electricity to over 2 million homes and businesses and was helpful for economic growth and the livelihood of thousands of people.

He embraces the future of cleaner and more flexible energy while honoring Ratcliffe’s legacy and the people who work as they shut down the plant.