As of 2023, there are 35 active gas fired combined cycle power plants and 14 simple cycle power plants operating in the United Kingdom, which have a total generating capacity of 35.7 GW. Decline of gas for power in the United Kingdom In 2016, gas fired power stations generated a total of 127 TWh of electricity. This dropped to 72 TWh in 2024, with gas generating 26% of electricity that year in Great Britain. The government target is for this figure to fall to 5% by 2030, with the total generation from low carbon sources desired to exceed demand, enabling net exports.
The decline in gas-fired generation is largely due to the increase in renewable sources outweighing the decline of coal, and an overall reduction in demand.
Phase-out of coal in the United Kingdom In November 2015, the UK Government announced that the country’s remaining fourteen coal-fired power stations would be closed by 2025. 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.
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. In May 2019, the GB grid went its first full week without any coal power. In May 2020, in part due to record low electricity demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and strong renewable production, the GB grid beat the previous record and did not use coal generation for over a month.
By 2024, the use of coal power had decreased to historic lows not seen since before the Industrial Revolution. Coal supplied just 0.5% of GB electricity in 2024, down from 30% in 2014. UK electricity became entirely coal-free on 30 September 2024, with the final coal-fired power station shutting down permanently that day.
List of active gas power stations
+NameLocationOwnerDate commissionedPlanned closure dateTotal capacity (GW)NotesImageBallylumford CNorthern IrelandEPUKi20030.62CarringtonNorth WestESB20160.91Connahs QuayWalesUniper19961.38 Fuelled by sour gasCoolkeeraghNorthern IrelandESB20040.41CorbyEast MidlandsESB19940.41CorytonEast EnglandIntergen20020.80Cottam Development CentreEast MidlandsUniper19980.45Damhead CreekSouth EastVitol20000.81Didcot BSouth EastRWE Generation UK19981.45EnfieldLondonUniper19990.41Grain CHPSouth EastUniper20111.52Great YarmouthEast EnglandRWE Generation UK20010.42KeadbyYorkshire and HumberSSE plc19940.74Killingholme BEast MidlandsUniper19930.60LangageSouth WestEPUKi20100.91Little BarfordEast EnglandRWE Generation UK19950.72MarchwoodSouth EastMarchwood Power (50% MEAG, 50% SSE plc)20090.90MedwaySouth EastSSE plc19950.76Pembroke BWalesRWE Generation UK20122.20PeterheadScotlandSSE plc20001.18RocksavageNorth WestIntergen19980.81Rye HouseEast EnglandVitol19930.72SaltendYorkshire and HumberTriton Power (50% Equinor, 50% SSE plc)20001.20Triton Power sold by Energy Capital Partners to Equinor and SSE in 2022SeabankSouth WestSeabank Power (50% CK Infrastructure Holdings, 50% SSE plc)20001.23ShorehamSouth EastVitol20000.42South Humber BankYorkshire and HumberEPUKi19971.37SpaldingEast MidlandsIntergen20040.95Staythorpe CEast MidlandsRWE Generation UK20101.77Built on the site of two former CEGB coal-fired power stations, the 360 MW Staythorpe A and BVPI ImminghamYorkshire and HumberVitol20041.25West Burton BEast MidlandsTotalEnergies20131.33Sold by EIG Global Energy Partners to TotalEnergies in 2024
See also List of power stations in England List of power stations in Northern Ireland List of power stations in Scotland List of power stations in Wales List of high-voltage transmission links in the United Kingdom
References