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List of active natural gas power stations in the United Kingdom

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As of 2023 there are 35 active gas fired combined cycle power plants and 14 single cycle power plants operating in the United Kingdom, which have a total generating capacity of 35.7 GW.[1]

Decline of gas for power in the United Kingdom

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In 2016 gas fired power stations generated a total of 127 TWh of electricity. Generation has dropped to 119 TWh in 2017, 115 TWh in 2018, 114 TWh in 2019 and 95 TWh in 2020. The decline is largely due to the increase in renewable sources outweighing the decline of coal, and an overall reduction in demand.[2]

Phase-out of coal in the United Kingdom

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In November 2015, the UK Government announced that all the remaining fourteen coal-fired power stations would be closed by 2025.[3] In November 2017 the UK Government co-founded the Powering Past Coal Alliance. In June 2021, the government said it would end coal power by October 2024.[4][5]

The United Kingdom had continuously burned coal for the generation of electricity since the opening of Holborn Viaduct power station in 1882. On 21 April 2017, for the first time since 1882, the GB grid had a 24-hour period without any generation from coal power.[6] In May 2019 the GB grid went its first full week without any coal power.[7] In May 2020 the GB grid beat the previous record and did not use coal generation for over a month.[8]

By 2023, the use of coal power had decreased to historic lows not seen since before the Industrial Revolution. Coal supplied just over 1% of UK electricity in 2023,[9] down from 30% in 2014.[10] In 2020, coal produced 4.4 TWh of electricity and Britain went 5,202 hours free from coal electricity generation, up from 3,665 hours in 2019 and 1,856 in 2018.[11] UK electricity became entirely coal-free on 30 September 2024.[12]


List of active gas power stations

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[13]

Name Location Owner Date Commissioned Planned Closure Date Total capacity (GW) Notes Image
Ballylumford C Northern Ireland EPUKi 2003 0.62
Carrington North West ESB 2016 0.91
Connahs Quay Wales Uniper 1996 1.38 Fuelled by sour gas
Coolkeeragh Northern Ireland ESB 2004 0.41
Corby East Midlands ESB 1994 0.41
Coryton East England Intergen 2002 0.80
Cottam Development Centre East Midlands Uniper 1998 0.45
Damhead Creek South East Vitol 2000 0.81
Didcot B South East RWE npower 1998 1.45
Enfield London Uniper 1999 0.41
Grain CHP South East Uniper 2011 1.52
Great Yarmouth East England RWE npower 2001 0.42
Keadby Yorkshire and Humber SSE plc 1994 0.74
Langage South West EPUKi 2010 0.91
Little Barford East England RWE npower 1995 0.72
Marchwood South East Marchwood Power 2009 0.90
Medway South East SSE plc 1995 0.76
Pembroke B Wales RWE npower 2012 2.20
Peterhead Scotland SSE plc 2000 1.18
Rocksavage North West Intergen 1998 0.81
Rye House East England Vitol 1993 0.72
Saltend Yorkshire and Humber Energy Capital Partners 2000 1.20
Seabank South West Seabank Power 2000 1.23
Shoreham South East Vitol 2000 0.42
South Humber Bank Yorkshire and Humber EPUKi 1997 1.37
Spalding East Midlands Intergen 2004 0.95
Staythorpe C East Midlands RWE npower 2010 1.77 Built on the site of two former CEGB coal-fired power stations, the 360 MW Staythorpe A and B[14]
VPI Immingham Yorkshire and Humber Vitol 2004 1.25
West Burton B East Midlands EIG Global Energy Partners 2013 1.33 Sold By EDF Energy to EIG in 2021[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES): electricity". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Drax Electric Insights". Drax Electric Insights. Drax Group. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. ^ Gosden, Emily (18 November 2015). "UK coal plants must close by 2025, Amber Rudd announces". The Independent. London. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  4. ^ "UK to end coal power by 2024". 30 June 2021.
  5. ^ "End to coal power brought forward to October 2024". gov.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  6. ^ "British power generation achieves first ever coal-free day". The Guardian. London. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Britain passes one week without coal power for first time since 1882". The Guardian. London. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Britain hits coal-free month milestone as demand remains low". Current News. London. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Analysis: UK electricity from fossil fuels drops to lowest level since 1957". CarbonBrief. 21 February 2024 – via www.carbonbrief.org.
  10. ^ Evans, Simon (10 February 2016). "Countdown to 2025: Tracking the UK coal phase out". Carbon Brief. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  11. ^ "Coal Tracker – MyGridGB".
  12. ^ "UK to close last coal power station after 142 years". BBC News. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES): electricity". GOV.UK. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  14. ^ "E.ON Next".
  15. ^ "Completion of sale of West Burton B CCGT to EIG". EDF Energy. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
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