RESEARCHERS from Oxford have discovered that coal made its smallest contribution to the UK’s electricity generation in 135 years last month.

Oxford-based Aurora Energy Research found the proportion of Britain’s electricity delivered by coal-fired power stations slumped to just two per cent in July.

The small figure was half of the four per cent that was recorded in the same month of 2016 and a tiny fraction of the 50 per cent levels seen as recently as the winter of 2012.

It comes after the UK experienced its first day without coal generation since the Industrial Revolution, earlier this year.

The research company found that gas delivered 40 per cent of electricity to the grid in July and nuclear delivered 32 per cent.

Renewable sources including biomass, wind and hydro provided a combined 18 per cent.

Aurora’s head of research, Richard Howard, said: “In July 2017, coal power generation in Britain fell to its lowest level for more than 100 years, below previous lows seen in April and June this year.

“Coal power stations generated just two per cent of total power in July, down from more than 50 per cent as recently as November 2012.

“The decline in coal in recent years is partly as a result of higher carbon prices, and partly the growth in renewables.

“In August coal load factors have been even lower than in July and the trend is continuing.”

Environmentalist group Greenpeace UK’s policy director Doug Parr said milestones towards clean energy are now coming ‘thick and fast’

He said: “By 2030, we could be powered mostly by renewables.

“The costs of offshore wind and solar are falling, and it won’t be long before coal power disappears completely from the grid and smart low carbon solutions become the new normal.”