BRITAIN’S RECORD 55 HOURS WITHOUT COAL POWER

BRITAIN went a record 55 hours without using electricity made with coal.

Instead the nation was powered by electricity made from gas, wind, nuclear, solar, and biomass.

The 55-hour, coal-free period ran from 10.25pm on Monday until 5.10am yesterday. The UK is trying to get rid of coal-fired generation by 2025 to protect the environment.

Yorkshire power station owner Drax has been converting power plants to run on biomass, which is a type of wood chip, instead.

The nation went 24 hours without coal-fired electricity last April for the first time since the Victorian era.

In 2017 coal made up less than 7pc of the electricity mix.

National Grid director of UK system operations Fintan Slye said: ‘It’s important to remember coal is still an important source of energy as we transition to a low-carbon system.’

James Thornton, chief executive of environmental legal charity Client Earth, said: ‘As if we needed any more proof, the UK has moved beyond coal. We now need the grid to be ready to bring renewables on-line. ’