The UK has closed down Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power plant ending 142 years of its coal reliance.

With the shutdown, Britain becomes the first among the Group of Seven major economies to phase out coal.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar, which opened in 1968, is a landmark whose eight concrete cooling towers and 199-metre chimney are seen by millions of people as they pass by.

Britain's Energy Minister Michael Shanks said the plant's closure marks the end of an era and coal workers can be rightly proud of their work powering their country for over 140 years.

More than half of Britain's electricity now comes from renewable sources such as wind and solar power, and the rest from natural gas and nuclear energy.