The end of an era is here. The UK is about to stop producing any electricity from burning coal – ending its 142-year reliance on the fossil fuel. I wonder what Blantyre miners of old would make of THAT!
The country’s last coal power station, at Ratcliffe-on-Soar, finished operations on Monday 30th Sept 2024 after running since 1967. It marked a major milestone in the country’s ambitions to reduce its contribution to climate change. Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel producing the most greenhouse gases when burnt.
Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said at the time: “We owe generations a debt of gratitude as a country. The UK was the birthplace of coal power, and from tomorrow it becomes the first major economy to give it up.”
“It’s a really remarkable day, because Britain, after all, built her whole strength on coal, that is the industrial revolution,” said Lord Deben – the longest serving environment secretary.
The first coal-fired power station in the world, the Holborn Viaduct power station, was built in 1882 in London by the inventor Thomas Edison – bringing light to the streets of the capital. Can you just imagine such a thing! B
From that point through the first half of the twentieth century, coal provided pretty much all of the UK’s electricity, powering homes and businesses with Blantyre seeing electric tree lighting as early as the 1920s.
In the early 1990s, coal began to be forced out of the electricity mix by gas, but coal still remained a crucial component of the UK grid for the next two decades.
In 2012, it still generated 39% of the UK’s power.
Although coal is a very polluting source of energy, its benefit has been in being available at all times – unlike wind and solar which are limited by weather conditions. Kayte O’Neill, the chief operating officer at the Energy System Operator – the body overseeing the UK’s electricity system – said: “There is a whole load of innovation required to help us ensure the stability of the grid. Keeping the lights on in a secure way.”
Scotland leads the way in renewables, with a thriving sustainable energy market which often sees this country produce more electricity each day than it can use. The arrival of GB Energy, the current new UK government being the architect of this company, will see Scotland’s energy distributed throughout the UK. Britain already has public ownership of energy – just by foreign governments but GB Energy will create a new network of Great British Energy owned by the British people, built by the British people and benefit the British people. It will be headquartered in Scotland.
A crucial technology providing that stability Kayte O’Neill spoke of is battery technology. Being able to STORE energy will be more crucial than ever. Batteries in our vehicles, batteries in our homes, workplaces. Keeping us lit, powered, working and moving.
For now though, the UK feels like it has taken some steps towards cleaner energy and only highlights the gulf between us and some countries actually intending to ramp up their coal production!
Thomas Edison with his dynamo – electric generator – used to produce electric light, pictured in 1882
