Ahead of the rest: Britain has abandoned the use of coal in its thermal power plants

The UK's last coal-fired power station is set to close on September 30, ending 142 years of coal use in the country's energy mix.

The closure of the nearly 60-year-old Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in central England means the UK will become the first G7 country to phase out the fossil fuel.

Uniper, which owns the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, said it would begin a two-year decommissioning period at the plant in October.

Coal-fired power generation began in the UK in 1882, when the world's first coal-fired power station was built in central London.

In 2015, the British government announced plans to close coal-fired power stations over the next decade as part of a wider push to meet its climate targets. At the time, coal generated almost 30% of the country's electricity, but that figure fell to just under 1% last year.

“The UK has shown that it is possible to phase out coal at an unprecedented pace,” said Julia Skorupska, a spokeswoman for the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a coalition of nearly 60 governments that are trying to phase out coal-fired power stations.

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The phase-out of coal has helped the UK cut greenhouse gas emissions, which have more than halved since 1990.

The UK, which has set a target of net zero emissions by 2050, plans to decarbonise its electricity sector by 2030, which will require a rapid increase in renewables such as wind and solar.

Emissions from electricity generation account for about three-quarters of total greenhouse gas emissions, and scientists have said fossil fuel use must be curbed to meet targets set by the Paris climate agreement.

In April, the G7 group of world's seven most economically advanced democracies agreed to phase out coal power in the first half of the next decade, but also gave some leeway to economies heavily reliant on coal, drawing criticism from green groups.

“There is a lot of work to be done, particularly in Japan, the United States and Germany, to ensure that the 2035 target is met,” said Christine Shearer, an analyst at Global Energy Monitor.

Coal still provides more than 25% of Germany's electricity generation and more than 30% of Japan's.

Italy plans to phase out coal next year, France in 2027, Canada in 2030 and Germany in 2038 year. Japan and the United States have not yet set any deadlines.

Prepared by: Nina Petrovich