An astonishing record was achieved by the UK. The country managed to stop using coal for 55 hours. An unprecedented period of time for the modern United Kingdom. This nation relied solely on coal, gas, and oil in terms of energy for decades, but a recent experiment showed that we can and, at some point, will be able to rely only on sustainable sources of energy.
The Energy Experiment
Coal power plants were stopped for 55 hours from 10.25pm to 5.10am and whole London was powered with wind mills. This is an incredible achievement for a city that has nearly 9 million citizens and thousands of businesses that require power. The experiment was a huge success and proved that even developed countries that require a lot of energy can survive without burning coal.
The UK is one of leaders when it comes to renewable energy sources. They have by far the largest amount of wind mills installed on the coast and offshore. Multiple solar panel fields are also capable of producing huge amounts of energy on demand. At the same time, the country encourages citizens to use various ways to abstain from burning coal and install solar panels.
The current plan of the UK government is to completely shut down all coal power plants by 2025. This will be a great day for the whole planet.
The Rest of Europe
Germany has one of coolest projects currently being tested in several towns. They have roads that are essentially solar panels that generate energy and store it in special accumulators that power city lights at night. These solar panels are made of robust materials and can withstand significant pressure.
France is trying to cut down the consumption of gas and coal as well. They have a lot of wind mills and their own fields with solar panels. The scale of their operations is smaller compared to the UK, but the general direction taken by France is reassuring.
Many developed European countries are focusing on switching to renewable efficient energy in order to both reduce their annual expenses on fuel and make sure that the Paris Agreement is not just a piece of paper. We are on the right track. Even industrial giants like Russia and China start thinking about renewable energy despite relying on coal mining, vast industrial capacities, and oil in terms of export.
The UK’s miracle is certainly a great news. We have an example worth following and the world will surely take notes of the success achieved by this country.