- The UK reduces coal ban deadline by one year
- To begin phasing out coal-fired plants ahead of schedule
- Coal-fired plants now account for 1.8% of total electricity generation sources
In line with its Sixth Carbon Budget commitments, the UK Government has announced plans to move the deadline for the ban on coal-fired plants for electricity generation from 2025 to 2024, one year from the original deadline of 2025. Changes will be made to the official legislation ahead of COP26.
The gradual phase-out of the coal-fired electricity generation applies to industrial sectors, including steelmaking. However, the steelmakers will still be permitted to use coal only for heat in their processes. Coal extraction will continue and will be used domestically for heavy industry or exports.
Coal accounted for 40% of electricity generation in the UK in 2010; however, in 2020, the UK had reduced that figure to an impressive 1.8% as it began diversifying its energy sources.
Minister for Energy & Climate Change, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said ”Coal powered the industrial revolution two hundred years ago, but now is the time for radical action to completely eliminate this dirty fuel from our energy system”. ”Today, we are sending a clear signal around the world that the UK is leading the way in consigning coal power to the history books and that we’re serious about decarbonising our power system so we can meet our ambitious, world-leading climate targets”, she added.
The announcement came shortly after the Climate Change Committee (CCC) issued its latest progress report on decarbonisation to Parliament.