Britain is on course to pass an energy milestone as it reaches two months of coal-free power generation on Wednesday – the longest period the country has gone without using the fossil fuel since the industrial revolution.
The new record is due in part to the coronavirus crisis, which with the halting of manufacturing and increased levels of home-working has seen demand for electricity plummet by an average of 15 to 20 per cent.
But it also comes as renewable energy sources have contributed more than ever to the power-mix. This is due to growing numbers of facilities coming online, combined with sunny and windy weather this spring.
Just 10 years ago, coal-fired power stations contributed up to 40 per cent of Britain’s energy, and as recently as 2015, on many days of the year, coal contributed more than 50 per cent of the power used by the grid, and it still made up 25 per cent of the total power mix in 2016, according to records kept by Drax Electric Insights.