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Posted 2 months ago | 3 minute read

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UK switches off from coal

The UK has become the first G7 nation to completely phase out coal power.

With the closure of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station on 30 September the UK joins more than a third of OECD nations which have successfully phased out coal. Energy minister Michael Shanks heralded the closure of the plant as “the end of an era”. “The era of coal might be ending, but a new age of good energy jobs for our country is just beginning”, Shanks said.

Separately, the government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has released its statistics on energy trends in the UK for the second quarter (April to June this year). It found that UK energy production was down 7% on the same period last year and at a near record low.

Natural gas production dropped by 18% and petroleum production by 9%, marking a record low. Fossil fuels’ share of the electricity mix was just 26.6%. Coal production was down 84% on the second quarter of 2023.Output from wind and hydro increased on last year as did nuclear.

Renewable electricity generation increased 19% on the same period in 2023 with the share of generation from renewable sources reaching a record high at 51.6% of total generation, the third consecutive quarter where renewable generation has exceeded 50%.

Source: DESNEZ

GridBeyond COO Mark Davis said:

“Coal has played a major role in the national energy supply; a decade ago it was the leading source of this country’s power – generating a third of our electricity. But its place in the energy mix has now been filled by clean and low carbon sources and flexible assets, it is an incredible achievement. As we aim for further ambitious targets in the energy transition, it’s worth remembering that a decade ago few back then thought such a change at such a pace was possible, but technology and innovation has demonstrated it is. Next comes the far larger task of significantly reducing the use of gas and further ramping up renewables ahead of our 2030 target.”

“GridBeyond has developed a unique AI-powered platform that is accelerating the transition to a net zero energy sector. Our platform integrates with and optimises energy demand and generation assets of all shapes and sizes, from refrigeration and arc furnaces to batteries and solar PV, helping our customers make more strategic decisions about the way energy is created, stored and managed – helping your business and the wider energy sector reach net zero.”

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