This Monday, September 30, the last coal-fired power station in the United Kingdom closes its doors, the country thus becoming the first in the G7 to give up coal, in its objective of achieving 100% clean energy by 2030. The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, in the Nottingham area, had been operating for almost 60 years.
From our special correspondent in Ratcliffe-on-Soar,
Eight immense towers dominate the landscape of this stretch of English countryside. These are the cooling towers of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station, the last in the country to produce coal-fired electricity. For John, a resident of the village who grew up five kilometers from the power plant, they are quite a symbol: “ When you come home from a long drive and see these towers, you know you’re home.”.
This proximity to the power station has sometimes played a role in the trajectory of young people in the region. “ About twenty years ago, I almost became an electrical engineering apprentice. There were around a hundred of us who applied, John remembers. We were shown these three huge turbines through which the steam passed… People seemed to love their work. They had a good pension plan, and there was even a golf course on site! »
“The end of coal in the UK truly marks a global turning point. »
Having become a gardener, the forty-year-old proudly points out that the United Kingdom is the first country to completely abandon coal, coal which now only accounts for 1% of the British energy mix. For analyst Jess Ralston, from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit think tank, the United Kingdom is taking a giant step forward. “ It shows the rest of the world that it can be done, she rejoices. We were promised blackouts, power cuts, the speeches we hear today about renewable energies, while solar and wind power are now inexpensive, batteries are starting to arrive to store energy… The end of coal in United Kingdom truly marks a global turning point. »
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But not everyone shares this enthusiasm. Ray State, a former railway engineer who transported coal to Ratcliffe, laments the end of an era: “ We were talking about King Coal! Our industrial revolution was based on coal: energy generation, all our factories ran on coal…”
Today the delegate of the hundred or so residents of the village, the retiree has a series of meetings with the managers of the power plant. His concern: the future of the site in the middle of a quiet rural area, since the company has not detailed its plans. “ We don’t know who will set up, what type of business, he is alarmed. What will happen if these are not virtuous companies, but undesirable ones? A distribution center for example? »
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Can the UK achieve clean energy by 2025?
According to analyst Jess Ralston, from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit think tank, it is entirely possible: “ We will have work to do: we will have to develop renewables, offshore wind power much more… We will have to ensure that the electricity transmission network can support this contribution. It’s ambitious, but many of us think it’s possible, with political will. »
The new Labor government has already announced the creation of a public renewable energy supplier, to provide electricity to more than 6 million homes by 2030.