The UK sets an example to the world when it celebrated its first coal free day since the Industrial Revolution. It went one full day without using coal to generate electricity. According to the National Grid, around half of British energy on Friday came from natural gas, with about a quarter coming from nuclear plants. They also made use of wind, biomass, and imported energy.

Until now,  the UK's longest continuous energy period without coal was 19 hours which was first achieved in May, last year. Its government seriously wishes to cut carbon emissions and plans to phase out all its coal plants by 2025.

The world's first centralised public coal-fired generator opened in 1882, at Holborn Viaduct in London and it was only on Friday, that for the first time, the nation didn't use coal to generate electricity.

Cordi O'Hara of national Grid said that the UK benefits from highly diverse and flexible sources of electricity and that their energy mix continues to change and National Grid adapts system operation to embrace these changes.

The nation brought to an end centuries of deep coal mining when it shut down its last deep coal mine, Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire in December 2015.

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