On Monday, the United Kingdom marked the closure of its last operational coal power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, which had been in service since 1968. The plant, with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts, ceased operations, concluding the UK’s long history with coal—a history that began with the inauguration of the first coal-fired power station in 1882. Coal was once central to the UK’s power system, at times providing over 90 percent of the nation’s total electricity.
Several factors contributed to the long-term decline of coal usage, including the rise of natural gas-powered plants and renewable energy sources, stricter pollution controls, carbon pricing mechanisms, and a government objective to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The significance of coal in the UK grid cannot be overstated. As recently as 1956, coal was responsible for supplying over 90 percent of the UK’s electricity. The total power generated continued to increase, reaching a peak of 212 terawatt hours by 1980. New coal plants were still being considered in the late 2000s. Efforts to continue using coal with carbon capture were also explored, according to Carbon Brief’s detailed timeline of coal usage in the UK.
However, various factors began reducing the use of coal even before the UK set any climate goals. The European Union, which the UK was a part of at the time, introduced new regulations to address acid rain, increasing the cost of operating coal plants. The exploitation of oil and gas deposits in the North Sea provided an alternative energy source. Furthermore, significant improvements in efficiency and the relocation of some heavy industries overseas markedly reduced electricity demand in the UK.
These changes also impacted employment in the coal mining sector, which had historically played a significant role in UK politics. The decline in coal use subsequently led to reduced employment in the sector, diminishing its political influence.
Even before governments adopted aggressive climate change measures, these factors had already curtailed coal use. By 2005, the European Union implemented a carbon trading system, adding a cost to emissions. By 2008, the UK government set national emissions targets, which have since been maintained and strengthened by both Labour and Conservative administrations. Initially, there was a pledge for a 60 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which has now been expanded to a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by that date.
To support this transition, the UK implemented a floor price on carbon, ensuring fossil fuel-powered plants faced significant costs for emissions, promoting the shift to renewable energy even when prices in the EU’s carbon trading scheme were low. As a result, renewable energy generation nearly tripled in the decade following 2013, significantly aided by the growth of offshore wind farms.
In 2015, the UK government announced its intention to phase out coal by 2025, despite the fact that the first day without coal on the grid wouldn’t occur until two years later. By two years after that landmark event, the UK was experiencing entire weeks without any coal-fired plants in operation.
The UK’s rapid transition away from coal serves as a critical example for other countries striving to mitigate climate change impacts. Several factors unique to the UK facilitated this transition, such as the aging coal infrastructure, exemplified by Ratcliffe-on-Soar’s origins in the 1960s, necessitating replacement. Additionally, the availability of relatively cheap natural gas locally exerted economic pressure on coal generation, a scenario that may not be applicable in all regions.
