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The United Kingdom is on the brink of a historic shift, poised to eliminate coal-fired electricity production entirely, marking the end of a 142-year dependency on this fossil fuel.
The Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power station, which has been operational since 1967, will cease operations on Monday, signifying a monumental shift in the country’s energy production landscape.
This event is a crucial achievement in the nation’s quest to lower its climate change footprint. Coal, known for being the most environmentally damaging fossil fuel, releases the largest quantity of greenhouse gases upon combustion.
According to Energy Minister Michael Shanks, It is our duty as a country to express gratitude to the generations that will follow us.
The UK, known as the cradle of coal power, is set to achieve a groundbreaking milestone tomorrow by becoming the first major economy to completely renounce this fossil fuel.
“It’s a really remarkable day, because Britain, after all, built her whole strength on coal, that is the industrial revolution,” said Lord Deben – the longest serving environment secretary.
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The first coal-fired power station in the world, the Holborn Viaduct power station, was built in 1882 in London by the inventor Thomas Edison – bringing light to the streets of the capital.
For much of the first half of the 20th century, coal fueled almost all of the UK’s electricity needs, supplying energy to households and industries alike.
Coal began to be phased out in favor of gas in the early 1990s, but it continued to be a central part of the UK’s energy grid for another 20 years.
Even in 2012, coal accounted for 39% of the electricity generated in the UK.
