The power plant, located in Nottinghamshire, supplied electricity to the UK for 57 years. Its powering down marks the final chapter in the country’s coal power era, which began with the Holborn Viaduct power station in 1882.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks praised the plant’s workforce, stating, “Today’s closure at Ratcliffe marks the end of an era and coal workers can be rightly proud of their work powering our country for over 140 years. We owe generations a debt of gratitude as a country.”
The plant, once employing 3,000 engineers, has seen its workforce shrink as coal power declined due to high carbon taxes and the rise of cheaper renewable energy .
At its peak, coal accounted for 80% of the UK’s electricity in the 1980s and still supplied 40% as recently as 2012. However, the UK was the first country to commit to ending coal power by 2025. In 2021, the deadline was moved forward to 2024, ahead of the UN’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
Environmental advocates like Phil MacDonald, Managing Director of energy think tank Ember, celebrated the move, calling it “the final chapter of a remarkably swift transition” from coal, a technology that helped power the industrial revolution. As of 2023, coal only accounted for a small fraction of electricity in the UK.
Despite the celebratory tone, some warned that the country must now turn its focus to phasing out natural gas. Tony Bosworth of Friends of the Earth said, “The priority now is to move away from gas as well, by developing as fast as possible the UK’s huge homegrown renewable energy potential and delivering the economic boost that will bring. But this vital green transition must be fair, by protecting workers and benefiting communities.”
The plant’s remaining staff gathered to witness the shutdown, which was live-streamed from the control room. Many workers will transition to new roles within the energy sector or take part in the plant’s decommissioning over the next two years.
