National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) has revealed that the country has been powered without burning coal for more than 18 days and 10 hours in a row.

The previous record of 18 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes – set in June last year – was broken at 6.10am on Tuesday morning, marking more than 438 hours and 10 minutes since the last coal generator came off the system at midnight on 9 April.

In a tweet National Grid ESO said: “Britain’s done it! It’s a new record for the longest period of #coalfree #electricity generation in this country – 18 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and counting.”

The UK has set a new record for the longest period of coal-free electricity generation, partly due to lower energy demand during lockdown and good weather conditions for renewable power such as wind and solar

The news has been widely welcomed as a positive step towards achieving the country’s climate targets.

UK minister for energy and clean growth Kwasi Kwarteng said: “This record-breaking stretch shows that Britain now barely depends at all on coal to meet our energy needs, which is testament to our world-leading low-carbon energy industry.

“As we move to end our contribution to climate change entirely by 2050, it’s great to see green energy continuing to go from strength to strength, even during this difficult time.”

April 2020 has already been a record-breaking month for renewable electricity in the UK, with a new record for solar generation of 9.68GW was set at 1.30pm last Monday.

Earlier in the year, February was recognised as the greenest month on record for UK electricity generation, with average carbon intensity – the measure of carbon dioxide emissions produced per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed – reaching its lowest ever.

Fintan Slye, director of ESO, said: “We’ve been planning, investing in the system and working with industry for years to make sure we’re ready to run a coal-free system with an increasing share of renewables, introducing new technologies and more intelligent ways of using energy to make sure the system is flexible and resilient to the challenges that decarbonisation brings.

“A zero-carbon grid is a stretching target, but it’s crucially important – and milestones like our latest coal-free run show that Great Britain is leading the world in transitioning to net zero.”

Weather continues to be the key factor in determining the mix of electricity used to power the nation, but reduced levels of demand also play a role.

Lockdown measures in place since late March have seen a significant drop in requirements, with an increase in domestic consumption outweighed by reduced industrial usage.

Lower demand, along with frequent sunny and windy spells across the country, are all contributing factors to the latest records.

Scotland’s last coal-fired power station – Longannet in Fife – was shut down in 2016.

It was the country’s biggest polluter, consuming 4.5 million tonnes of coal each year to power a quarter of Scottish homes.

“We urgently need to end the UK’s contribution to climate change, and this is an important milestone on our journey,” said Gareth Redmond-King, head of climate change at environmental campaign charity WWF-UK.

“Renewable energy sources now generate an incredible one-third of UK power, proving we can adapt to live without damaging the planet we call home.

“There is no room for coal in a net-zero future.”

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UK sets coal-free power generation record

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