the only one left in the UK Coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire It has been supplying electricity to the UK for 57 years, but produced electricity for the last time on Monday.
The power station has reached the end of its lifespan, in line with the government’s world-leading policy to phase out coal-fired power generation, first set out almost a decade ago.
The closure marks the end of Britain’s 142-year history of coal-fired power, dating back to 1882 when the world’s first coal-fired power station, Holborn Viaduct Power Station, began generating electricity.
This closure will reduce the UK’s carbon footprint, demonstrate international climate change leadership and ‘just migrate” for staff in the UK coal industry.
On Monday, Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: Closure at Ratcliffe This marks the end of an era, and coal workers can be justifiably proud of the work they have done to power our country for more than 140 years. As a nation, we owe a debt of gratitude for generations. ”
The UK has become the first country to set a 2025 end date for coal-fired power generation, after introducing increasingly strict green regulations to reduce the operating hours of coal-fired power plants.
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Ministers have strengthened the UK’s leadership on coal phase-out, calling for the coal phase-out deadline to be brought forward by a year, just before the UK hosts the UN’s COP26 climate change talks in Glasgow at the end of 2021.
The remaining 170 Ratcliffe staff members were invited to gather in the cafeteria on Monday, and the moment the generating unit was shut down for the final time was broadcast on a livestream from the plant’s control room.
Peter O’Grady, Ratcliffe Plant Manager, said: I’m sure there will be a few tears when everything stops and people leave. ”
The coal-fired power plant once employed 3,000 engineers, but that number has shrunk in recent years in response to the amount of power it generates. Coal-fired power generation accounted for 80 per cent of the UK’s electricity in the early 1980s and 40 per cent in 2012, but has declined in the last decade due to high carbon taxes and the rise of cheap renewable energy. decreased.
“This is the final chapter in an incredibly rapid transition from a country that started an industrial revolution,” said Phil MacDonald, managing director at global energy think tank Ember.
Coal-fired power generation in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries has halved since peaking in 2007, according to the Ember report. According to Enver, coal-fired power accounted for 17% of the electricity generated by OECD countries last year. However, 27 of the 38 member states have pledged to phase out coal by the end of 2010.
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Ed Mathews, director of climate crisis think tank E3G, said: “The UK was the first country to build coal-fired power stations and is right to be the first major economy to exit coal-fired power. This is real global leadership and lights the way for other countries to follow. is.”
Friends of the Earth campaigner Tony Bosworth said: “The priority now is to develop Britain’s huge homegrown renewable energy potential as quickly as possible and realize the economic boost it will bring. And we need to get away from gas as well.” But this important green transition must be fair, protecting workers and benefiting communities. ”
Staff were first informed in 2021 that the plant would close at the end of 2022, but Ratcliffe’s owner, German energy company Uniper, later announced that it would be shutting down the plant across Europe in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company announced that it will continue to operate the power plant during the gas crisis based on an agreement with the plant. government.
Uniper has worked with trade unions to help many engineers obtain new jobs at the company’s other power plants or receive training that could lead to jobs in other areas of the energy industry. . More than 100 people are expected to remain at the power plant for the next two years for decommissioning work.
Michael Lewis, CEO of Uniper, said: “For me, Ratcliffe has always been more than just a power station, it has been a pillar of Britain’s energy security for decades. Built at a time when coal was the backbone of industrial progress, Ratcliffe has always been more than just a power station. , it played a vital role in driving economic growth and supporting the livelihoods of thousands of people, providing electricity to more than two million homes and businesses across the East Midlands region.
“This is the first time since 1882 that coal will not power the UK. As we close this chapter, we celebrate Mr Ratcliffe’s work and the people who work here, as we embrace a cleaner, more flexible energy future. I respect you,” he said.
