All polluting coal-fired power stations will be closed by 2025, the Government has announced as it signals a new dash for gas.
Ahead of a speech by Energy Secretary Amber Rudd outlining a energy policy “reset”, it was announced all coal power plants which do not have technology to capture their carbon emissions will be shut by 2025, with their use restricted by 2023.
But it will be “imperative” to build new gas fired power stations in the next 10 years, Ms Rudd will say in the speech, claiming that such a move will be “one of the greatest and cost-effective contributions” the UK can make to cutting emissions.
While the move by the Government, which comes after a series of announcements curbing support for renewables, to end coal power is being welcomed by environmentalists, the new emphasis on gas to fill the gap is not.
Ms Rudd insisted that energy security had to come first, and said she was determined to ensure the UK has secure, affordable and clean energy supplies that people could rely on now and in the future.
“We are tackling a legacy of under-investment and ageing power stations which we need to replace with alternatives that are reliable, good value for money, and help to reduce our emissions.
“It cannot be satisfactory for an advanced economy like the UK to be relying on polluting, carbon-intensive 50-year-old coal-fired power stations.
“Let me be clear: this is not the future.
“Our determination to cut carbon emissions as cost effectively as possible is crystal clear and this step will make us one of the first developed countries to commit to taking coal off our system.”
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