Britain closes its last coal-fired power plant

Britain closes its last coal-fired power plant

Kyiv  •  UNN

September 30 2024, 12:16 PM  •  6587 views

The UK will become the first G7 country to phase out coal-fired electricity. The last coal-fired power plant in Ratcliffe-on-Soar will shut down, helping the country meet its climate goals.

The United Kingdom plans to shut down its last coal-fired power plant today, making it the first country among the G7 members to abandon coal-fired electricity. Reutersreports , UNN reports.

Details

It is noted that the intention is to phase out fossil fuels to achieve climate goals. London announced it back in 2015. The plan was to close all coal-fired power plants over the next decade. At the time, almost 30% of the country's electricity was generated from coal.

In 2023, the share of coal in the energy balance was 1.3%.

The publication adds that the rejection of coal-fired electricity has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, which have more than halved since 1990.

In general, the UK plans to reach zero emissions by 2050, and will try to switch to renewable energy sources as much as possible.

Addendum

The Guardian  adds that the last coal-fired power station in Ratcliffe-on-Soar, southwest of Nottingham, is on its last day of operation on Monday.

All 170 employees of the station are invited to gather in the canteen on Monday, where a live broadcast from the control room will show the moment when the station's generators are turned off for the last time.

Today's closure of Ratcliffe marks the end of an era, and coal miners can be rightly proud of the work they have done to power our country for more than 140 years. As a country, we owe it to future generations

- Energy Secretary Michael Shanks said .

Recall

An analysis by the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research (Crea) shows that in 2023, the European Union created 8% less carbon dioxide from fossil fuels than in 2022.