[throwup238]

> The UK has been burning coal since 1882 so that feels like quite a significant milestone.

The UK has been burning coal since the 13th century for heating so it's an even more significant milestone than that. There was a short ban because of the pollution it caused but otherwise the UK has been continuously burning coal since the late middle ages.

I recommend Coal: A Human History by Barbara Freese. The history of coal in Britain is fascinating and closely intertwined with the birth of the industrial revolution, some of the first workers rights, etc.

[dredmorbius]

The missing term in bb123's comment is "burning coal for electrical generation".

The Holborn Viaduct Power Plant, the first coal-fired electric power station in the UK, opened on 12 January 1882:

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holborn_Viaduct_power_station>

Yes, UK / British coal consumption for other uses long predates the 19th century.