UK to close last coal plant as it moves toward greener energy

The UK’s last coal plant will close this month, ending 140 years of the use of the fuel for electricity.

London saw the world’s first coal-fired power plant in 1882, and the UK will likewise become the first G7 country to remove coal from its grid.

The Ratcliffe-on-Soar station received its last shipment of fuel in July, and its boilers, which reached 1,000°C (1,832°F) when working, are cold.

The UK’s move away from coal has been rapid: In 1990, it was still the source of most of the country’s electricity, but it has been phased out by the growth of gas and renewables. Those two sources now account for roughly a third of the country’s power each, with nuclear and bioenergy making up the rest.