Real fears for Scotland’s electricity supplies

Cara Hilton urges cross-party cooperation to secure future provision

There are real fears over Scotland’s electricity supply following the shock news that Longannet power station is to close early next year.

Local MSP Cara Hilton said: “As well as being a bitter blow to the workforce, the announcement raises real questions about our future energy supplies.

“Right now around 25% of the energy we consume in Scotland is produced at Longannet and even now we already rely on electricity supplies from south of the border to keep the light so none day in six.

“It’s pretty unbelievable that we are now in a situation where Scotland will be forced to rely more on energy imports to keep our lights on it future.”

Saying the announcement was sad for west Fife and the hundreds of workers directly or indirectly hit by the decision to close the 46-year-old power station, Mrs Hilton said the plant had been hit by high transmission charges.

“In March Longannet workers were effectively put on 12 months’ notice thanks to a power struggle between the company and the National Grid around transmission charging, which neither the UK or Scottish Government could resolve.

“Scottish Power still maintain that Longannet could have continued generation into the next decade under the right economic conditions.

“It’s clear then that all parties must put the politics and power games to one side and sit down to find a solution to ensure Scotland can meet its future energy needs.”

Local MP Douglas Chapman said the key threat to the future of the plant had always been the UK’s energy policies.

“We urgently need a fair and level playing field with the rest of the UK and the current transmission charging regime is far from that,” he said.

“Scottish electricity generators pay substantially more in transmission charges than equivalent generators in England and Wales.

“Longannet’s charges were forecast to increase from £40 million this year to £51m in 2017 and 2018. That has long been the threat to Longannet and why we have this completely avoidable closure announcement.”

He said the closure illustrated why Scotland must not accept a position where electricity supply levels were threatened by UK energy policies.

“From my discussions and correspondence exchanged with the UK Government ministers, I do not think they either fully understand or care about this closure, the impact this decision will have on electricity supply in Scotland or the wide range of skilled jobs that will be lost to the Fife and Scottish economy,” Mr Chapman added.

Picture: Kris Miller. Longannet power station near Kincardine will cease operation in March next year. The move comes as a bitter blow to the west Fife economy but could also have wider repercussions.