Britain | Burning ambition

Britain’s last coal-fired power station closes

The end of an era

Nature reserve with Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in the background.
Photograph: Alamy

On September 30th water vapour will rise from the eight giant cooling towers at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire for the final time. The closure of Britain’s last coal-fired power plant is the end, in effect, of an industry that has played a critical role in shaping the country’s economy over three centuries. It is also testament to a remarkably successful drive to stamp down on the dirtiest source of carbon emissions.

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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Burning ambition”

From the October 5th 2024 edition

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