The final shipment of coal by rail has arrived at Uniper's Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station (Nottinghamshire) ahead of its closure on 30th September 2024.
The train, weighted to 1,650 tonnes, had enough coal to generate electricity for approximately 500,000 homes over an eight-hour period.
This marks the end of a long-term partnership where 6,000Kt of coal has been transported from the Port of Immingham. To mark the end of this momentous partnership, GBRf Locomotive 66781 has been named ‘Ratcliffe Power Station'
Ratcliffe Power Station has been operational since 1967 and is the last operational coal-powered power station in the UK and can produce enough electricity to power more than two million homes.
Over Ratcliffe's 57-year history, it has produced enough electricity to make more than 1 billion cups of tea a day.
The Power Station's closure will help the UK to meet the Government's target to end coal generation in 2024.
Since the 20th Century coal has gone from supplying 95% of energy consumed in the UK to just 1%.
Rail freight is still majorly important to the UK's economy being worth £2.45bn and each train being able to take 129 lorries off UK's roads, reducing emissions on goods by 74%.
GBRf is investing £150 million in new Bi Mode Class 99 Locomotives to help the environmental benefits of moving goods by rail and help to decarbonize Supply Chains across the UK.
The final coal train to Ratcliffe power station will be an historic moment in British history. Coal and rail have been pivotal in driving British prosperity for centuries. GBRf has been transporting coal to the station for many years. Whilst we rightly recognise that coal must be phased out for the UK to successfully transition to a modern, zero-carbon economy, rail freight will continue to play a key role in the economy of the future. GBRf is investing heavily in decarbonising the UK's supply chains and allowing businesses to take full advantage of the environmental benefits that rail offers when compared with road freight.
John Smith, CEO of GB Railfreight
We're really proud that GB Railfreight has chosen to name a locomotive after Ratcliffe power station in honour of its 57 years of electricity generation and our people who have worked there. The last coal delivery will be a significant moment and one that heralds the end of the story for the power station. However, it's not the end for the site, as we look towards a future where it could become a zero-carbon technology and energy hub for the East Midlands. The site has a Local Development Order in place granted by Rushcliffe borough council in 2023, which provides a framework for future sustainable development, and a large section of the site is also part of the East Midlands Freeport. We're also exploring the potential for future hydrogen production at the Ratcliffe power station site. This all aligns to Uniper's aim to be completely carbon-neutral by 2040
Mike Lockett Uniper UK Country Chair
France has reopened 4 coal stations to keep the UK 🇬🇧 supplied through the inter connector cables. Carbon free my A**e
Light a fire in the garden? You’ll need a licence for that, and have to have fire engine and ambulance on standby, to comply with Health and Safety regulations!
Where is the coal from?
Hope it’s going to be kept as a standby for a few years Crystal balls seam to be wrong often
The answer is gas, on standby. Gas power is much more responsive and flexible than coal, as well as significantly cleaner in terms of carbon emissions, as much of the energy produced comes from the hydrogen content of methane (CH4) burning to produce water vapour. Otherwise, nuclear and renewables.
If coal really were essential to the nation’s electricity needs, we couldn’t have reached the point at which 99% of those needs are already supplied from other sources.
Use gas as a backup.
Very clever, the day the wind don’t blow and the sun don’t shine very much what we all suppose to do … Light a fire in the back garden to boil a kettle ?
Closing Ratcliffe Power Station before we can guarantee 100% availablity of alternative electricity sources is rediculous – dogma over common sense.
On a coach trip sometime ago on a still day, not one of the many Wind Turbines next to the M1 near Worksop was turning but all the Cooling Towers were in operation at Ratcliffe-on-Soar. Perhaps whichever government is in place after next Thursday’s election will rethink this decision. Sometimes The Green Party and others can’t see beyond the end of their noses. (Closing the last coal mine in Wales so that Heritage Railways now have to import coal?)
David Hague,
Sheffield.
According to Just Stop Oil and others like them… I think the answer is yes ! 🥴