MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee toured Longannet Power Station in Fife on Tuesday (18 November) as part of a fact-finding visit to gather evidence for the inquiry into the future of energy consumption and production in Scotland.
The Committee heard from ScottishPower’s Director of Energy Wholesale, John Campbell, on the company’s future plans for the station and were updated on the progress of a number of major environmental projects that are currently underway.
The MSPs were informed that the £170million Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) project - which will significantly reduce sulphur dioxide emissions from the station - is due to be completed in the next few months. Information was also provided on a planned scheme to substantially reduce oxides of nitrogen and an update was given on the progress of the company’s Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project.
Longannet Power Station is the largest coal-fired plant in Scotland and currently supplies around 25% of the country’s annual energy needs.
The Longannet tour is the first in a series for the Committee to gather evidence for the energy inquiry. In the coming weeks the MSPs will also visit ScottishPower’s control room in Kirkintilloch.
Notes to Editors:
The Committee members who toured Longannet were:
- Iain Smith MSP (Convener)
- Rob Gibson MSP (Deputy Convener)
- Ms Wendy Alexander MSP
- Christopher Harvie MSP
- Lewis Macdonald MSP
- Picture Captions: MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee at Longannet Power Station to hear about ScottishPower's future plans for the station.
Media Information: Paul Ferguson 0141 566 4515 / 07702 665 924