Longannet may soon be long gone but its legacy will live on

And that famous 600 feet tall tower will soon go the way of the rest of the landmark of a bygone age when it crashes down and the area is cleared away for a sleek new factory to construct high speed trains.

The writing was on the wall for the Kincardine power station as soon as Scotland and the world made a commitment to move away from coal-fired facilities to more environmentally friendly means of power generation.

However, the plant still far exceeded its original three decade lifespan and operated for 46 years, eventually being decommissioned in 2016.

Back when coal was available to burn and the aqct of burning it was not frowned upon, construction on Longannet – a name derived from the Gaelic word for blade – began in 1964 on 30 hectares of land reclaimed from the Firth of Forth using ash from an existing power station nearby.

It began generating electricity in 1970 and came into full operation three years later – the largest power station of its kind in Europe at that time.

Run by the South of Scotland Electricity Board, it burned over four million tonnes of coal in order to generate around 9500 GWh of electricity annually, providing power to over two million homes per yer.

When the electricity industry in the UK was privatised in 1990, ScottishPower took over Longannet and remained in charge right up to the end.

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Not only did the coal burning behemoth produce more electricity for the National Grid than any single power station in Scottish history, it also provided direct employment for generations of people, well over 200 workers when it was decommissioned, and thousands of indirect workers who relied on the station for their livelihoods.

However, high transmission charges and carbon taxes which came hand in hand with strict new environmental regulations eventually led to Longannet being deemed uneconomic to continue.

Back in 2016 ScottishPower stated: “It is a sad day for everyone at ScottishPower. The highly-skilled team at Longannet have worked hard in difficult circumstances over the last six months to ensure the station continued to operate at a high level over the winter.

“Originally designed to run for 25 years, the success of Longannet has been driven by substantial investment over the years and by the dedication of the men and women overseeing the station’s operations.

"Over the station’s lifetime thousands of people have worked tirelessly to keep Longannet running safely, and our thanks go out to every single person involved.

“Coal has long been the dominant force in Scotland’s electricity generation fleet, but the closure of Longannet signals the end of an era. For the first time in more than a century no power produced in Scotland will come from burning coal.

"Although ScottishPower is at the forefront of renewable energy development, we will be reflecting today on the important contribution that Longannet has made in keeping the lights on for millions of homes and businesses for nearly half a century.”

The firm also stated it had worked closely with the trade unions, local councils and the Scottish Government to assess and manage the impact of Longannet’s closure and had been in discussions with every individual employee.

As ScottishPower rightly said, it was the end of an era when the plug was pulled on Longannet over four years ago and that era becomes an ever more distant memory as each physical part of the site is demolished.

When the chimney finally topples, however, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

The potential hope for the future came along in 2018 with in ultra modern form of Spanish firm Talgo and its decision to use the Longannet site to build its new factory.

Talgo specialises in manufacturing fast, lightweight trains for countries like the USA and Saudi Arabia, and stated the Longannet site would initially occupy an area of 70,000 square metres with its construction taking 18 months.

The most encouraging aspect though was the statement at least a thousand people would be working on site once it was complete.

Talgo stated a range of factors influenced the choice of Longannet as its preferred site, including excellent connectivity by sea, rail and road.

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There was also the availability of skilled workers and the ability to create a pipeline of engineers and innovators to grow capability, a tremendous “can do” attitude on the part of all partners brought together by Scottish Enterprise and a credible evidence-base to provide assurance the facility could be ready on budget and on time.

At the time Carlos de Palacio, Talgo president and grandson of the firm’s founder, said: “This has been a tremendously challenging mission for Talgo, and I have personally seen excellence in all corners of the UK.

“It has been a difficult decision to make, as the quality has been so high in so many places. The establishment of a manufacturing facility at Longannet is a significant part of Talgo’s future strategy.

“Talgo’s aim is to establish true UK manufacturing – rather than assembling from parts made elsewhere. This will be a team effort, requiring the ‘Best of British’. Our 18-month mission has revealed a determination and willingness across Britain to do just that.

“Talgo’s approach keeps more money in the UK economy, and creates more skilled long-term jobs.”

Looks like the Longannet legacy – at least the in some form or other – will keep powering on well into the 21st century.

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