After a 46-day hiatus, Britain has resumed burning coal for electricity generation due to a combination of factors including maintenance shutdowns at gas power plants, increased air conditioning demand, and lower wind speeds.

Uniper's Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant fired up one of its units on Monday morning, with another plant on standby in case additional capacity is required later in the day. However, at the time of writing, coal only accounted for approximately 0.2% of the country's electricity consumption.

This development marks the end of Britain's recent coal-free streak, falling short of the nearly 68-day record set in the summer of 2020. The 46-day period without coal-powered electricity production was the longest since 1882 when the grid first operated without burning coal. The resurgence of coal usage highlights the challenges faced by the country's energy infrastructure, with a temporary reliance on this fossil fuel necessary to meet the heightened energy demand and compensate for the reduced output from other sources. Efforts to transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy alternatives remain essential in achieving long-term environmental goals and reducing reliance on coal in the future.

Source: standard.co.uk