Today marks the closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, the last remaining coal-fired power plant in the UK, signalling the end of coal-generated electricity in the country.

Ratcliffe, which has been operational since 1968, will cease power generation after 57 years of service. The closure is a significant milestone in the UK’s broader shift towards decarbonisation, making it the first G7 nation to phase out coal-fired electricity entirely.

Electricity generation from coal has been a cornerstone of the UK’s industrial history. In 1882, the world’s first coal-fired power station, Holborn Viaduct Power Station, began operations in London. Over the next 140 years, coal became the dominant fuel for electricity generation, supporting Britain’s rise as an industrial power.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar was commissioned by the publicly-owned Central Electricity Generating Board in 1968 and became one of the UK’s largest power plants, burning over five million tonnes of coal annually. However, the environmental consequences of burning coal led to a decisive shift in policy, and in 2015, the UK government announced plans to phase out all coal power plants by 2025 – a timeline that has since been accelerated to 2024.

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