The UK is moving towards a greener future with the announcement that it will have only one coal-burning power station left operating by the end of 2022.
EDF announced plans on Monday that it will be closing West Burton A, their Nottinghamshire coal burning power plant by September 2022.
Matt Sykes, EDF’s managing director for the generation business, said in a statement: “West Burton A and its loyal workforce have played a critical role providing power to the UK for 55 years, including during this recent winter. Since 1966, the station has produced enough electricity to meet the needs of all UK households for more than four years, a truly incredible achievement.
“With EDF’s power generation strategy firmly focused on nuclear and renewable energy – and in this key year for UK leadership on climate change – we now believe it is the right time to provide clarity to our employees and all those connected to the site.”
At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) being held in Glasgow in November of this year the UK government hopes to convince all countries to halt all new build coal-fired power stations. They are backed by UN chief Antonio Guterres who has also called for all countries to end their “deadly addiction to coal”. At a summit held earlier this month, he described ending the use of coal in electricity generation as the “single most important step” to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, the historic climate deal made by countries in 2015.
Along with the closure of West Burton A, Northern Ireland’s Kilroot coal plant is to be converted to a gas-fired station by 2023 and Drax power station in North Yorkshire ended commercial generation at its two remaining coal units earlier this month and is expected to shut them down for good by September 2022.
Further reading:
HOME - UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) at the SEC – Glasgow 2021 (ukcop26.org)
