The UK’s final coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, is set to close on Monday, marking a historic moment as Britain becomes the first G7 country to eliminate its reliance on coal for electricity generation.

This closure, after nearly 60 years of operation, represents a pivotal step toward the UK’s goals of decarbonizing electricity by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks emphasized the significance of this transition, stating, “While the coal era is ending, a new age of good energy jobs for our country is beginning.”

The plant’s owner, Uniper, has announced that Ratcliffe-on-Soar will begin a two-year decommissioning phase starting in October. The approximately 350 employees and contractors at the site will be offered new roles within the company or will undergo redundancy processes before the end of 2026. Uniper plans to replace the facility with a “carbon-free technology and energy hub.”

This closure signifies the end of Britain’s 140-year history with coal, positioning it as a leader in the global shift away from fossil fuels. Other G7 nations are following suit, with Italy aiming to phase out coal by next year, France by 2027, Canada by 2030, and Germany by 2038. Japan and the United States have yet to announce specific timelines.

The Greenpeace UK Policy Director, Doug Parr, praised the UK’s decision, stating, “Britain has set an example the rest of the world must follow,” while urging further action to eliminate oil and gas reliance in line with COP28 commitments.

Currently, natural gas comprises a third of the UK’s electricity production, with wind power contributing a quarter and nuclear power 13%, according to the National Grid ESO. The newly elected Labour government has launched a green energy plan aimed at further decarbonizing the energy mix, including the creation of a publicly owned body to invest in offshore wind, tidal, and nuclear energy.

In recent years, Ratcliffe-on-Soar was primarily used during peak electricity demands, such as during the cold snap in 2022 and the heatwave in 2023. Its last coal delivery of 1,650 tonnes this summer provided power for only 500,000 homes for eight hours.

Coal has been integral to British economic history, powering the Industrial Revolution and contributing significantly to the nation’s energy mix. In the 1980s, coal accounted for 70% of the UK’s electricity, but its usage has sharply declined over the years due to stringent pollution regulations. In the past decade alone, coal’s share plummeted from 38% in 2013 to just 1% last year.

Tony Bosworth, an energy campaigner for Friends of the Earth, marked, “Coal was the backbone of the UK’s power generation for over a century, but its time is now part of history.” He called for a swift transition away from gas and a focus on harnessing renewable energy sources for economic growth.

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Britain’s reliance on coal dates back to 1882, with the establishment of the world’s first coal-fired power station in central London, marking the beginning of an era that is now coming to a close.