As part of ongoing work at Cockenzie Power Station, ScottishPower is set to demolish two steel ‘Precipitator’ structures on Tuesday 17th December using controlled explosion. The 300 tonne structures are predominantly made of steel with a height of 34 metres and a width of 10 metres by 12.5 metres.

Decommissioning work at the station has been ongoing since April this year, following Cockenzie’s closure after 45 years of operation. The full demolition programme at Cockenzie is set to run for at least a further 18 months. The removal of the steel structures will be managed by ScottishPower’s contractor Brown and Mason, and the controlled explosive demolition is set to take place at 2pm.

ScottishPower has been working closely with East Lothian Council and Police Scotland to prepare for the demolition event. The structures are located on the seaward side of the main building and an exclusion zone will be required immediately before and after the event. This will entail the short term closure of the section of the John Muir Way that runs parallel to the sea wall. No road closures will be required.

George Camps, Project Manager at ScottishPower said: “Decommissioning work at Cockenzie has been progressing well, and the focus up until now has been on removing internal kit from the turbine hall. Working with Brown and Mason we have concluded that the most effective way to demolish the steel precipitator structures is by controlled explosion.

“We have been working very closely with the local authority and the police to ensure that the event is planned safely. It is programmed that the remaining 14 precipitator structures will also be removed by controlled explosive demolition, and we will look to plan these further events in the coming months.”

Although the short event is not expected to be a viewing spectacle, Police Scotland and East Lothian Council have advised that any members of the public wishing to view the demolition to congregate on the Greenhills. There will be no official car parking.

Cockenzie Power Station generated more than 150 Terawatt Hours (TWh) of electricity in its lifetime, enough to power the average annual electricity needs of more than 1 million homes every year during its 45 years of operation.  When opened in 1967, Cockenzie was the largest power station in Scotland and Britain.
 

Media information – ScottishPower Press Office - 0141 614 4660