🚨 The last day of UK coal powered electricity generation 🚨
In 1882 the Edison Electric Light Station was the world's first coal-fired power station, the start of over 140 years of coal power in the UK.
Coal capacity increased gradually in the early 1900s, and grew exponentially from the economic expansion after World War II and the creation of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).
In 1974 the UK reached it's peak installed coal capacity of 60GW, before a consistent decline in capacity in the years following, rapidly sped up by the 'dash for gas' in the 1990s.
In 2015 the Government announced all coal power stations would close by 2025, and in 2021 brought this forward by one year to 2024.
By 11:59pm today the last coal power station Ratcliffe-on-Soar will shutdown, and coal fueled electricity generation in the UK will end.
This is a great milestone to have achieved, and is a step towards our net zero electricity targets! 🌍
#coal #netzero #decarbonisation #electricity #renewables
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