UK's last coal-fired power station closes

The UK's only remaining coal power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire generated its last electricity on 30 September after supplying the UK with electricity for 57 years.

The plant's closure marks the end of the UK's 142-year history of coal power, which began when the world's first coal-fired power station, the Holborn Viaduct, began generating electricity in 1882. It also makes the UK the first G7 country to phase out coal.

A general view of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant in Nottinghamshire, England. Photo: AP

Ratcliffe’s owner, German energy company Uniper, said many of the remaining 170 employees would continue working during the two-year shutdown. They were invited to gather in the canteen on September 30, where a live broadcast from the power plant’s control room showed the moment the generators were switched off for the last time.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “Today’s closure of Ratcliffe marks the end of an era. Coal workers can be proud of the work they have done to power our country for more than 140 years.”

The UK government hailed the closure as a milestone in its drive to generate all of the UK's energy from renewable sources by 2030. "The age of coal may be coming to an end, but a new era of good energy jobs for our country is just beginning," said Michael Shanks.

The world's first coal-fired power plant, Thomas Edison's Edison Power Station, opened in London in 1882.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar, opened in 1967, is a landmark with eight concrete cooling towers and a 199-metre-high chimney seen by millions of people each year driving past on the M1 motorway.

In 1990, coal provided around 80% of the UK's electricity. By 2012, that had fallen to 39% and by 2023 it will be just 1%, according to figures from the National Grid. More than half of the UK's electricity now comes from renewable sources such as wind and solar, with the rest coming from natural gas and nuclear power.

“This will be the first time since 1882 that coal will not power the UK,” said Michael Lewis, chief executive of Uniper. “As we close this chapter, we honour the legacy of Ratcliffe and those who worked there, and look forward to a future of cleaner, more flexible energy.”

Hoai Phuong (according to Guardian, AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ket-thuc-lich-su-142-nam-dien-than-cua-vuong-quoc-anh-post314741.html