British homes will still be heated by energy from Russian coal until the end of the year, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
More than a month after the invasion of Ukraine, two of the biggest power stations in England are still burning coal imported from Russia.
EDF’s West Burton A, in Nottinghamshire, expects to use up its existing stocks in the next few months before it stops generating at the end of September.
Stockpile: More than a month after the invasion of Ukraine, two of the biggest power stations in England are still burning coal imported from Russia
Uniper’s plant in Ratcliffe-on-Soar, also in Nottinghamshire, will continue to use Russian coal until the end of the year. The station is due to close in September 2024.
MPs have called for a ban on Russian coal in Britain. Large steel makers, including Tata and British Steel, have already halted its use.
It is understood that France’s EDF bought the Russian coal in 2021. The fuel is used only as a back-up at peak times when the country’s energy needs cannot be met from other sources, such as wind and solar power.
The firm began decommissioning half of the West Burton A plant last summer and the shutdown of the remainder will begin in October.
Germany’s Uniper said it had decided not to extend existing Russian coal supply contracts and it expects to have completed a ‘diversification strategy’ away from Russian coal by the end of the year. The country had been its largest supplier.
The British energy industry is attempting to move away from polluting fossil fuels, including coal, and switch towards renewable energy.
Russia is the world’s sixth biggest coal producer, behind countries including China and the United States. It exports more than half, with a third of that bound for Europe, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
#fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle#mobile {display:none} #fiveDealsWidget {display:block; float:left; clear:both; max-width:636px; margin:0; padding:0; line-height:120%; font-size:12px} #fiveDealsWidget div, #fiveDealsWidget a {margin:0; padding:0; line-height:120%; text-decoration: none; font-family:Arial, Helvetica ,sans-serif} #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitleBox {display:block; float:left; width:100%; background-color:#af1e1e; } #fiveDealsWidget .widgetTitle {color:#fff; text-transform: uppercase; font-size:18px; font-weight:bold; margin:6px 10px 4px 10px; } #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {float:left; display:block; width:124px; margin-right:4px; margin-top:5px; background-color: #e3e3e3; min-height:200px;} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {margin-right:0} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle {display:block; margin:10px 5px; color:#000; font-weight:bold} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage img {float:left; display:block; margin:0; padding:0} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {border:1px solid #ccc} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage img {width:100%; height:auto} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemdesc {float:left; display:block; color:#004db3; font-weight:bold; margin:5px;} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemRate {float:left; display:block; color:#000; margin:5px} #fiveDealsWidget .footerText a:hover{text-decoration: underline;} #fiveDealsWidget .footerSmall{font-size:10px; padding-top:10px;} @media (max-width: 635px) { #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {width:19%; margin-right:1%} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {width:20%} } @media (max-width: 560px) { #fiveDealsWidget #desktop {display:none;} #fiveDealsWidget #mobile {display:block!important} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {background-color: #fff; height:auto; min-height:auto} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem {border-bottom:1px solid #ececec; margin-bottom:5px; padding-bottom:10px} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {border-bottom:0px solid #ececec; margin-bottom:5px; padding-bottom:0px} #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem, #fiveDealsWidget a.dealItem#last {width:100%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {float:left; display:inline-block} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemImage {width:35%; margin-right:1%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent {width:63%} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemTitle {margin: 0px 5px 5px; font-size:16px} #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent .dealItemdesc, #fiveDealsWidget .dealItemContent .dealItemRate {clear:both} }
