Coal To Clean

The report argues that the UK is on track to phase out coal by 2025 without needing new large gas plants. It finds that renewables, particularly offshore wind, and increased electricity imports via interconnectors will replace coal generation. Analysis of the Capacity Market shows that coal is being replaced by batteries, demand-side response, and small peaking gas plants rather than large combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs). The report suggests that new large gas plants are incompatible with climate targets and would be unnecessarily costly due to low required load factors.

• The UK is projected to complete its coal phase-out by 2025 without the need for new large gas plants, defined as stations with a generating capacity over approximately 450MW.
• Renewable electricity output is expected to exceed the highest level of coal generation recorded this century (142 TWh in 2006) by 2025, with offshore wind driving most of the growth between 2017 and 2025.
• Approximately 95% of the renewable growth required to replace coal is already under construction or contracted.
• New large gas plants are deemed unsuitable for the future UK grid because the required new capacity will only need to run infrequently; the analysis suggests a load factor of just 3% in 2025 on conservative assumptions.
• Gas use in the UK electricity system peaked in 2008 and was already 24% below that peak by 2017.
• The UK's ability to meet carbon budgets depends heavily on electricity imports; if forecast growth in interconnectors does not occur, carbon emissions could be approximately 70MT higher by the end of 2025.
• Analysis of the Capacity Market reveals that five coal plants (Eggborough, West Burton, Aberthaw, Cottam, and Fiddlers Ferry) have already been effectively replaced by a mix of batteries, demand-side response, interconnectors, and small peaking gas or diesel plants.
• Small peaking gas plants (reciprocating gas engines) are preferred over large CCGT plants for replacing coal because they are cheaper, more flexible, and have shorter design lives (10-20 years), avoiding long-term carbon lock-in.

APA

Ember (2018). Coal To Clean. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/12/Coal-To-Clean-May-2018.pdf

Chicago

Ember. Coal To Clean. 2018. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/12/Coal-To-Clean-May-2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Coal To Clean |date=May 2018 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/12/Coal-To-Clean-May-2018.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2018coal, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Coal To Clean}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2024/12/Coal-To-Clean-May-2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }