Tuesday, November 19, 2024

As it happened: UK’s last coal-fired power station set to close

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Why is the station being demolished?published at 07:57 British Summer Time

Tom Oakley
BBC East Midlands

Coal once dominated many areas of the country, particularly in the East Midlands, but the last coal mines have been shut for some time.

At the turn of the 20th Century, coal was used to generate more than 95% of the UK’s energy, but last year it had fallen to 1%.

Coal is a fossil fuel and has been generating electricity in Great Britain since the Industrial Revolution, but it is now known to badly impact the environment.

When coal burns, it releases greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere.

Image source, PA Media

Over time, the build-up of greenhouse gases, which are released when coal is burned, has caused global temperatures to rise.

The UK has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050.

To help achieve the UK’s target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050, the government has committed to achieving fully “clean” electricity by 2035 through wind, solar, and nuclear power.

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