This will be the first time since 1882 that coal has not powered Great Britain. The UK is set to cease all electricity production from coal, bringing an end to its 142-year use of the fossil fuel.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar, the nation’s last coal-fired power station, which has been operational since 1967, will shut down on Monday.
This event marks a significant step in the UK’s efforts to lessen its impact on climate change, as coal is known for being the most polluting fossil fuel in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks remarked, “As a country, we owe a debt of gratitude to generations.”
The decommissioning process will commence immediately, with 125 staff members remaining on-site to oversee the transition. In late June, the power station received its final coal shipment—a 1,650-tonne delivery from GB Railfreight.
This last delivery of fuel was sufficient to generate electricity for around 500,000 homes for eight hours. First commissioned in 1968, Ratcliffe is the UK’s last operational coal-fired power station, with the capacity to supply power to over two million homes.
Throughout its 57 years of operation, the electricity generated at Ratcliffe has produced enough energy for over 1 billion cups of tea each day, totaling more than 21 trillion cups overall.
In that time, 15 coal-fired power stations have been closed or converted to alternative fuels, and with the closure of Ratcliffe, Britain is poised to become the first G7 nation to completely eliminate coal as an energy source.
The closure of Ratcliffe signifies a significant shift in UK energy production, as the government aims to decarbonize electricity by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
