UK operates coal-free for a day

The United Kingdom went without coal power for 24 hours on April 21, reported National Grid, the system operator for the country’s electric grid.

National Grid confirmed via Twitter that it had successfully supplied UK electricity demand without coal generation, adding that the average generation mix consisted about  50.3 percent natural gas, 21.2 percent nuclear, wind 12.2 percent wind, 6.7 percent biomass, solar 3.6 percent and 8.3 percent imports, the bulk of which were from France and the Netherlands.

National Grid said it was likely be the first continuous working day without coal in Britain since the Industrial Revolution.

As part of its carbon reduction strategy and renewable energy goals, the UK government has pledged it will phase out all unabated coal-fired power stations by 2025. According to U.K.-based Carbon Brief, around 4 gigawatts (GW) of coal capacity closed in 2016, leaving 15 GW still operating. Since 2010, 8.4 GW have closed.

According to trade association Energy UK, in 2015, 22 percent of the country’s electricity supply came from coal-fired power stations, eight of which are currently operating,