May 13, 2024
Remember the idiom “like sending coals to Newcastle”? It meant doing something utterly superfluous, since Newcastle was a major coal-producing area. In 1960, 90% of the power in the United Kingdom was generated by coal.
And since 1968, the Ratcliffe-On-Soar Power Station, about 120 miles north of London, has burned untold millions of tons of coal, spewing carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other airborne toxins into the atmosphere.
But that power station is scheduled to be closed at the end of September and, when it stops operating, there will not be a single coal-powered station anywhere in Britain.
But the plant won’t be vacant. Plans are already underfoot to redevelop Ratcliffe into a “zero-carbon technology and energy hub,” providing power to the millions in the region. The location of the power station has been found to have great potential for eco-friendly energy production, such as solar and wind power. Not only could this help lower the energy costs in the area, but the production of the green energy hub is expected to generate thousands of jobs.
It’s a start.