The end of an era: UK exits coal-fired power generation

The United Kingdom has become the first G7 country to exit coal-fired power generation with the closure on 30 September of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station near Nottingham.

The closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power station — which first opened in 1967 — has ended over 140 years of coal-fired generation in the UK. Since commissioning, the Ratcliffe power station has produced enough energy to make more than 21 trillion cups of tea and its 2 GW capacity is enough to power two million homes.

“For me, Ratcliffe has always been more than just a power station — it has been a pillar of the UK’s energy security for decades. Built during a time when coal was the backbone of industrial progress, Ratcliffe powered over two million homes and businesses — equivalent to the entire East Midlands region,” said Michael Lewis, Uniper CEO. “This will be the first time since 1882 that coal has not powered Great Britain.

“As we close this chapter, we honour Ratcliffe’s legacy and the people working here, while embracing the future of cleaner and flexible energy. In this context, Uniper aims to invest in technologies like CCS, renewables and hydrogen. The goal is to decarbonise our remaining power assets and to deliver low carbon fuel as well as green and reliable energy to our customers.”

In January this year, all four of Ratcliffe’s 500 MW units ran together for the last time. And, in June, the last delivery of coal by train arrived, carrying the final 1650-tonne shipment to the site.

Ratcliffe power station is the only coal-fired plant in the UK to be fitted with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emission control facility, capable of reducing NO_x emissions by 70–95%. It is also equipped with a flue-gas desulfurisation (FGD) plant to remove sulfur dioxide (SO₂) from the exhaust flue gases before they enter the atmosphere.

Following closure, the site will go through a decommissioning process, which is expected to last around two years, before the site can be handed over to a demolition contractor.

Düsseldorf-based Uniper is an international energy company with activities in more than 40 countries. With about 7000 employees, Uniper’s core businesses are power generation in Europe, global energy trading and a broad gas portfolio. The company already ranks among Europe’s largest operators of hydroelectric plants and intends to further expand solar and wind energy.

Image caption: Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station. Source: Uniper.