(Bloomberg) -- The UK hasn’t used coal in its power system for about three weeks, the longest run since mid-2020 when pandemic restrictions sapped demand for electricity.

Coal has slowly faded from Britain’s power grid ahead of a complete phaseout set for 2024, but the polluting fuel has become more important in recent months after natural gas prices surged to record levels.

Britain last used coal-fed power on May 5, according to data from National Grid Plc. In May 2021, coal accounted for just 1% of the country’s electricity, down from 21% five years earlier.

The UK’s longest coal-free streak lasted almost 67 days, ending in June 2020.

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