A further structure at Longannet, Scotland’s last coal-fired power station, has been successfully brought down in a controlled explosion. 

The boiler annex east, close to the station’s iconic chimney, was ‘blown down’ in calm conditions on Thursday by ScottishPower’s demolition contractor Brown & Mason.

Longannet was closed in 2016, marking the commitment by both ScottishPower and parent company Iberdrola to decarbonising the economy. With demolition work still ongoing, over 28,000 tonnes of material removed from site so far, with 98.5% of this being recovered/recycled.

ScottishPower recently became the first integrated energy company in the UK to shift completely from coal and gas generation to 100% renewable energy. Globally Iberdrola aims to reduce emissions by 30% by 2020, and 50% by 2030 compared to 2007 and be carbon neutral by 2050.