Britain's final coal-fired power plant is scheduled to close on Monday, ending its 142-year history of generating electricity from coal.
As per CNN, the last coal power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar will cease operations on Monday after being in service since 1967.
This marks a significant step in the country’s efforts to address climate change, as coal is the most harmful fossil fuel.
This makes Britain the first country among the Group of Seven major economies to phase out coal, although some other European countries, like Sweden and Belgium, achieved this earlier.
The world’s first coal-fired electricity plant, Thomas Edison’s Edison Electric Light Station, opened in London in 1882.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar is a notable landmark, recognizable by its eight cooling towers and 199-meter (650-foot) chimney, which can be seen by millions driving along the M1 highway or traveling by train.
In 1990, coal provided about 80% of Britain's electricity. This share dropped to 39% by 2012 and further fell to just 1% by 2023.
Currently, more than half of Britain’s electricity comes from renewable sources like wind and solar power, with the remainder generated from natural gas and nuclear energy.
