In the UK, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station, near Nottingham, which started generating in 1967, officially ended generation at midnight on September 30, 2024 – marking a key milestone in the UK’s journey to cleaner power. As the final coal-fired power station to close, it ends over 140 years of coal-fired generation in the UK.
Owned and operated by Uniper UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Germany-headed international energy major Uniper SE, the 2 GW Ratcliffe Power Station has played a key role in keeping the nation’s lights on.
Since commissioning in 1967, its eight iconic 114-metre-high cooling towers have been a key part of the East Midlands skyline, and it has produced enough energy to make more than 21 trillion cups of tea.
For me, Ratcliffe has always been more than just a power station—it has been a pillar of the UK’s energy security for decades. Built during a time when coal was the backbone of industrial progress, Ratcliffe powered over two million homes and businesses—equivalent to the entire East Midlands region. It played a crucial role in boosting economic growth and supporting the livelihoods of thousands of people. This will be the first time since 1882 that coal has not powered Great Britain. As we close this chapter, we honor Ratcliffe’s legacy and the people working here, while embracing the future of cleaner and flexible energy. In this context, Uniper aims to invest in technologies like CCS, Renewables, and hydrogen. The goal is to decarbonize our remaining power assets and to deliver low carbon fuel as well as green and reliable energy to our customers, commented Michael Lewis, CEO of Uniper UK.
A decade of countdown to closure
Ratcliffe’s countdown to closure began in 2015 when the Government announced plans to end UK coal power generation over the next decade, finally confirming the October 2024 end date in 2020.
Since then, there have been a series of poignant “last moments”.
In January this year, all four of Ratcliffe’s 500 MW units ran together for the last time. And, in June 2024, the last delivery of coal by train arrived, carrying the final 1,650 tonnes shipment from the Port of Immingham to the site, and the occasion was marked with a locomotive officially named ‘Ratcliffe Power Station’.
The closure is a time of mixed emotions for the team.
It is an emotional day for me as well as for the team. When I started my career 36 years ago, none of us imaged a future without coal generation in our lifetimes. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together over the years and to be part of this energy milestone as the country focuses on a cleaner energy future, said Peter O’Grady, Plant Manager at Ratcliffe Power Station.
Following closure, the site will go through a decommissioning process, which is expected to last around two years, before the site can be handed over to a demolition contractor.
For its 170 employees, the site is more than just a workplace. Many have spent their entire careers at Ratcliffe Power Station, with some retiring as the station closes.
Uniper is supporting employees on-site, in finding suitable redeployment opportunities within the wider Uniper group, and several measures have been put in place to support those leaving the business.
Facts
About Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station
Ratcliffe has a 2 GW generation capacity and occupies a site of approximately 270 ha adjacent to the East Midlands Parkway railway station.
Construction started in 1963. The first 500 MW unit was operational in 1967, with the plant fully commissioned in 1970, providing power for 57 years.
Ratcliffe has eight cooling towers which stand at a height of 114m with a diameter of 87 m at the base and 55 m at the summit. The walls of each tower are approximately seven inches thick and are constructed from reinforced draught concrete.
Power sent out to the national grid since 1967 has produced enough energy to make more than 1 billion cups of tea per day and over 21 trillion overall (up to 2024).
Ratcliffe has had approximately 141,768 coal deliveries by rail since 1967. The last coal shipment took place on June 28, 2024.
A typical train can deliver up to 15,000 tonnes to the power station. At its peak, Ratcliffe would receive over 20 trains a day.
Ratcliffe was the only coal-fired plant in the UK to be fitted with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) emission control facility, capable of reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx)) emissions by 70-95 percent.
Technically advanced coal-fired plant
Investments in technical advancements and modifications over the years enabled Ratcliffe Power Station to seamlessly switch from delivering baseload power to more flexible power generation, responding to requests to generate power for the national grid, as and when needed.
This and work to reduce the station’s environmental emissions have enabled it to be the last coal-fired power plant standing in the UK.
Ratcliffe Power Station is the only coal-fired plant in the UK to be fitted with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) emission control facility, capable of reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by 70-95 percent.
It is also equipped with a Flue-Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) plant to remove sulphur dioxide (SO2) from the exhaust flue gases. With both SCR and FGD technology installed, Ratcliffe could meet the environmental standards in the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).
Ratcliffe Power Station has played a key role in keeping the lights on over the past 57 years, and now we look to what could be the future of the site. As we mark the end of coal generation for Uniper in the UK, I’d like to thank all our colleagues, past and present who have worked hard to keep the power station delivering reliable power generation through the decades, said Mike Lockett, Uniper UK Country chair.
