- Britain’s last coal-fired power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, is closing on October 7, 2024, marking the end of 142 years of coal-generated electricity in the UK.
- The shutdown coincides with the loss of nearly 2,000 jobs at Port Talbot Steelworks as Tata Steel transitions to a cleaner electric furnace.
Britain’s final coal-fired power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, will close on Monday, October 7th, 2024, ending 142 years of coal-generated electricity in the nation that ignited the Industrial Revolution. Located in central England, the plant will complete its last shift at midnight after over 50 years of operation. The UK government has hailed this closure as a significant milestone in its goal to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Plant manager Peter O’Grady described the day as “emotional,” reflecting on his 36-year career and the unexpected reality of a future without coal generation. The closure positions Britain as the first country among the Group of Seven major economies to phase out coal. However, some European nations, like Sweden and Belgium, reached this milestone earlier.
Uniper, the plant’s owner, indicated that 170 employees will remain during a two-year decommissioning process. Energy Minister Michael Shanks noted that the closure “marks the end of an era,” expressing gratitude for the contributions of coal workers over the decades. He added, “The era of coal might be ending, but a new age of good energy jobs for our country is just beginning.”
The Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant, which opened in 1967, features iconic cooling towers and a 199-meter chimney, frequently seen by travellers on the nearby M1 highway. In 1990, coal accounted for about 80% of Britain’s electricity generation; by 2012, this figure had dropped to 39%, and by 2023, it had plummeted to just 1%. Over half of Britain’s electricity comes from renewable sources like wind and solar, with the remainder supplied by natural gas and nuclear energy.
Dhara Vyas, deputy chief executive of Energy UK, praised the rapid transformation, stating, “To get to this point just a decade later, with coal’s contribution replaced by clean and low-carbon sources, is an incredible achievement.”
The history of coal in Britain is not without strife; the 1984 miners’ strike against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government marked a tumultuous period that divided communities and ultimately contributed to the decline of the coal industry.
As the country turns its back on coal, the High Court recently revoked planning permission for Britain’s first new coal mine in 30 years, which had faced opposition over environmental concerns.
Additionally, another chapter in the nation’s carbon-burning industrial heritage closes with the shutdown of the last blast furnace at the Port Talbot steelworks in Wales, resulting in nearly 2,000 job losses. Tata Steel plans to replace the coal-powered furnace with a cleaner electric alternative, reducing emissions but requiring fewer workers.
Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the Community Union, asserted that while the closure represents the end of an era, it is not the end for Port Talbot. “We will never stop fighting for our steel industry and our communities in South Wales,” he affirmed.