Britain officially shut down its last coal-fired power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, at the end of September. This marks the end of an era for a country that was once the birthplace of the industrial revolution. As of September 30, coal is no longer used to generate electricity in Britain. The shift began in 1882 when the Holborn Viaduct power station, built by Thomas Edison’s company, started burning coal to illuminate the City of London. At that time, Queen Victoria was the monarch, and coal powered the Royal Navy’s ships, securing trade routes worldwide.
This significant closure positions Britain as the first Group of Seven (G7) economy to eliminate coal from its energy mix. It is an important milestone in the country’s goal of transitioning entirely to renewable energy sources by 2030.
The news of the closure also brings back personal memories for me. My great-grandfather worked as a miner in Yorkshire. He began working in the mines at just 11 years old and was tramming coal cars at Barnsley’s Higham mine by the end of the 19th century. A law prohibiting children under 13 from working underground was not enacted until 1900.
In 1912, he moved to the United States to work in the mines of Carbon County, Utah. Family letters recount tragic incidents, including the death of his brother, who was a mine inspector, in an explosion. Despite these hardships, my great-grandfather eventually found work with the city and the railway, cultivated a beautiful garden in Brigham City, and lived nearly to the age of 90.
Reflecting on the legacy of Ratcliffe-on-Soar brings back memories from my childhood in West Germany during the 1970s. I watched coal trucks deliver their loads to our apartment buildings, where the coal was funneled into cellars for heating furnaces. Every December, we placed our shoes outside the door for St. Nikolaus, who rewarded well-behaved children with gifts. Those who misbehaved received a lump of coal or a switch.
As a foreign correspondent in China during the 2000s, I witnessed frequent disasters in small, unsafe coal mines. Accidents were common, and local officials often tried to conceal the incidents. Over time, China closed many smaller mines and strengthened safety regulations while promoting better reporting on mining accidents.
Throughout that decade, Beijing was often enveloped in heavy smog due to polluting power generators, dirty coal briquettes used in portable stoves, and emissions from factories and vehicles. The air quality was reminiscent of London’s Great Smog of the 1950s.
In preparation for the 2008 Olympics, Beijing increased its use of natural gas to reduce reliance on coal. The city also relocated its largest steel producer, Capital Steel, and closed the Beijing Coking and Chemical Factory. By 2018, Beijing had shut its last coal-fired plant as part of its ongoing efforts to improve air quality.
Historically, coal mining has been a dangerous and deadly industry. From 1900 to 1950, coal mine explosions, collapses, and accidents claimed an average of 1,687 lives annually in Britain. In 1912, the year my great-grandfather emigrated to America, 2,419 miners died in U.S. mines. During my reporting years in Beijing, annual coal-related deaths reached thousands, peaking at nearly 4,900 in 2003, before declining due to regulatory improvements. Although fatalities in China have decreased significantly, accidents and cover-ups still occur.
While developed nations are moving away from coal, production in developing countries continues to grow. According to the International Energy Agency, 2023 saw record global coal production, driven by demand from India, China, and Indonesia.
In this context, the closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar feels largely symbolic. Despite the rise of renewable energy, coal, along with its harmful impacts, will likely remain a reality for many years to come.
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