Longannet Power Station To Close Next Spring
Scottish Power has confirmed Longannet power station in Fife will close on 31st March next year.
The company said earlier this year that the coal-fired plant on the banks of the Forth would ''in all likelihood'' close after losing out on a short-term National Grid contract.
It has now been announced that Longannet will close on March 31 next year as it has become "uneconomic''.
High carbon taxes and high transmission charges have made the plant unsustainable.
It has been producing power for 46 years and currently employs 236 people.
The operator said "a number of opportunities will be available for redeployment'' but they will also have to look at early retirement and redundancy packages.
Trade union Prospect said the news was a "body blow'' to staff and the Fife economy.
Scottish Power also confirmed that plans for a new gas-fired power station at Cockenzie, East Lothian, have been scrapped "due to the same economic conditions''.
Neil Clitheroe, chief executive of retail and generation at ScottishPower, said: "This is a sad day for ScottishPower, and for our highly-skilled and committed team at Longannet.
"We have explored every potential option to keep the station open, and we still maintain that Longannet could continue generation in to the next decade under the right economic conditions.
"Our main focus now is consulting with staff to ensure we find the best outcomes possible for all of the 236 impacted employees, many of whom have spent their entire career at the station.
"We would like to thank everyone at the station for their professionalism and continued commitment, and we know that the last few months have been very difficult.
"We will work hard with every person at Longannet to try to find the best outcome for them, whether it is finding another role in ScottishPower or leaving the company.''