The latest coal-free run has come to an end, with the record now set at 18 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes.
It is the longest stretch without any domestic coal generation in Great Britain since the world’s first public coal-fired power station was opened in London in 1882.
The run began on 17 May and finished at 9.20pm last night (4 June). During the period, Britain’s electricity needs were met with a mixture of gas (40 per cent), nuclear (20 per cent), wind (13 per cent), imports (11 per cent), biomass (8 per cent) and solar (7 per cent). Hydro and storage also made small contributions.
The previous record, set less than a month ago, included the first coal-free week since 1882 and ended at more than 193 hours.
The electricity system operator (ESO) says it is aiming to make the power grid ready for zero-carbon operation by 2025. For the time being, the ESO still relies heavily on fossil fuel generators to provide balancing and ancillary services, although these are being gradually reformed to open them up to renewables and other technologies such as batteries and demand-side response.
Experts at Imperial College London last year predicted the imminent arrival of coal-free summers, paving the way for the complete removal of coal generation from the power grid.
A number of Britain’s coal plants have closed in recent years, including Longannet, Ferrybridge, Rugeley and Eggborough.
Six now remain – Drax, Cottam, West Burton, Aberthaw B, Fiddler’s Ferry and Ratcliffe – with a combined operational capacity of more than 10GW. SSE closed one of the four units at Fiddler’s Ferry in March.
The government has pledged to phase out all unabated coal generation by 2025.