Make more of Scotland’s coal

Sir, - If it weren’t so serious, it would be laughable to see all those so-called experts making supportive comments about Britain managing to last a day without electricity generated from coal. Let’s get real.

The vast bulk of our base-load power supply comes from coal, nuclear and gas.

Our nuclear industry continues in the shambolic way it has followed for 50 years and now its future depends on financing from questionable (and maybe hostile) sources while Europe now receives half its gas supplies from Russia.

You would think if we had responsible politicians, we would be rejuvenating rather than demolishing our coal industry. That is what they’re doing elsewhere.

Of course, many old coal stations are being closed but latest reports indicate current or planned construction of some 800 coal-fired plants around the world.

In these countries, they recognise that modern technology is equally applicable to coal (just see what they’re doing in China and India).

So, if we had grown-up politicians, we would be making an immediate start to renewing our coal industry and Scotland offers an ideal launching pad.

We should be replacing Longannet station with a modern installation, which could be fuelled from a major mining complex to exploit the vast reserves in the Airth coalfields.

That would not only create some 3,500 direct and well-paid jobs but would be a major step in tackling the question of ballooning fuel bills. Jim Parker. Scottish Mineworkers’ Consortium, Collydean, Glenrothes.