Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station enters final days - exactly when it will close and what happens next
Its closure will mark the end of the UK’s reliance on coal-fired power stations
History will be made in Nottinghamshire next week when the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station closes.
On Monday, September 30, the iconic Notts landmark will shut for good, bringing an end to the UK’s reliance on coal-fired power stations.
This means that from Tuesday, October 1, 0% of the UK’s electricity will come from coal-fired means.
The decommissioning process will begin immediately, with 125 staff remaining on-site to carry out the transition.
In late June the power station received its final coal shipment - a 1,650-tonne delivery made by GB Railfreight.
Its final delivery of fuel was enough to generate power for approximately 500,000 homes over eight hours.
First commissioned in 1968, Ratcliffe is the UK’s last operational coal-fired power station, with the capacity to produce enough electricity to power more than two million homes.
Over its 57 years, the electricity generated has produced enough energy to make more than 1 billion cups of tea per day and over 21 trillion overall.
Ratcliffe’s closure marks a changing of the guard in UK energy production, with the government aiming to decarbonise electricity by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050.
What happens next?
The closure of Ratcliffe power station has been a source of anger for many Nottinghamshire residents since the decision was made in 2021.
Once the decommissioning process gathers pace, the station’s eight cooling towers - a familiar sight for those travelling on the A453 Remembrance Way - will be demolished.
A petition to save the cooling towers was launched in May, but as things stand one of Nottinghamshire’s most iconic landmarks will be lost over the next few years.
Rushcliffe Borough Council granted the power station site with a Local Development Order (LDO).
The order could increase the speed at which planning processes could be progressed for a range of modern industrial and green energy uses and the vision for the site sets out guiding principles by which any development could be brought forward
According to Rushcliffe Borough Council, these potential new uses include:
- A zero-carbon technology and energy hub for the East Midlands
- Highly skilled, well-paid jobs
- Modern industry and business uses, served by on-site sustainable energy generation and storage
- Advanced manufacturing and low-carbon energy production, for example to produce electric car batteries
- A hub for research, development, and innovation, through links with universities, business support organisations and established industry
What do you think about the imminent closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station? Let us know in the comments.