Longannet Power Station

Location type

Works

Name and dates

Longannet Power Station (1970-2016)

Station code: LGT National Rail
Served by the Longannet Power Station Loop (British Railways).

Description

This was a 2,400 megawatt coal fired power station, capable of using other fuels.

The power station was alongside Longannet Mine which provided it with coal by conveyor. In addition further coal was delivered by rail.

The rail facility was a large loop from the Stirling, Alloa, Kincardine and Dunfermline Town route. The loop met the main line with triangular junctions allowing a train to approach from either direction or leave in either direction without reversal. Much of the layout was on an area previously used for a rail served MOD depot.

With the closure of the route beyond Kincardine Power Station in 1981 most trains approached from the east, although there was hopper coal loading and later a simple loading pad at Kincardine Power Station from the 1980s.

With the closure of Longannet Mine in 2002 more trains were required and the additional trains, many with imported coal coming from Hunterston High Level Sidings but also from Ravenstruther, Mossend Marshalling Yard, Thornton Marshalling Yard, Inverkeithing Sidings clogged up the railways of the Central Belt and Fife, and battered the Forth Bridge. The Stirling - Alloa - Kincardine line re-opened in 2008.

Failure to win a contract to supply electricity to the National Grid led to closure in 2016. Demolition of the buildings and chimney were in 2021.

Ash from the power station was placed in lagoons. In 1997 the ash was used by Blue Circle at Westbury. Ash was carried in PCA wagons with empties from the power station on their return journey to Killoch Colliery. The PCA wagons were left at Falkland Yard and taken on by the Irvine - Burngallow 'Enterprise' to be dropped off at Newport and finally worked to Westbury.

Tags

Power station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67


Chronology Dates

  /08/1954National Coal Board
Valleyfield Colliery no 3 pit sinking begins on reclaimed land to the south of no 1 and 2 pits. No 2 pit is re-built. Spoil is dumped on the River Forth foreshore and ultimately, combined with ash from Longannet Power Station, connects Preston Island to the mainland.
  /  /1962South of Scotland Electricity Board
Longannet Power Station planned by South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB). The National Coal Board (NCB) plans to supply it from Bogside Colliery No 3, Castlehill Mine and Solsgirth Colliery via Longannet Mine at the power station. Longannet will be connected to Solsgirth by a five mile underground conveyor.
  /  /1964National Coal Board
Construction begins of drift mines to supply the new Longannet Power Station. Longannet Mine (where coal was brought to the surface), a new Bogside Mine (No 3), Castlehill Mine and Solsgirth Mine. The mines will work the Upper Hirst seam.
  /  /1970South of Scotland Electricity Board
Longannet Power Station in operation.
  /  /1973South of Scotland Electricity Board
Longannet Power Station fully opened.
  /  /1985Stirling and Dunfermline Railway Kincardine Line (North British Railway)
Longannet Power Station (excluded) to Alloa West Junction (excluded) out of use. Track left in place for possible re-opening.
  /  /1988South of Scotland Electricity Board
Kincardine Power Station sidings in northern yard disconnected at both ends. Southern sidings used for coal loading for Longannet Power Station.
  /  /1991South of Scotland Electricity Board
Scottish Power
South of Scotland Electricity Board wound up by privatisation and Scottish Power takes over assets. (eg Kincardine Power Station, Longannet Power Station.)
  /04/1997Kincardine Line (North British Railway)
Longannet Power Station to Kincardine Power Station re-opened to freight. This was to allow opencast coal, brought to Kincardine by road, to be carried to Longannet power station.
15/05/1997Kincardine Branch (North British Railway)
Coal loading at Kincardine Power Station's yard for Longannet Power Station begins. Coal was brought in by road to Kincardine until at least 2000.
27/03/2002Scottish Coal
Longannet Mine complex closed following in-rush of water in the Castlehill workings. Following this Scottish Power had to import considerable quantities of coal through the Hunterston Ore Terminal for Longannet Power Station.
  /02/2003Kincardine and Dunfermline Railway (North British Railway)
Coal import terminal near Longannet Power Station for Scottish Power proposed (Longannet Mine had closed the previous year).
19/05/2008Stirling and Dunfermline Railway
Kincardine Branch (North British Railway)
The railway between Stirling and Alloa re-opens to passengers. The line between Stirling and Longannet Power Station via Alloa re-opens to freight providing an alternative route to the Forth Bridge.
24/03/2016Scottish Power
Longannet Power Station closed.
09/12/2021Scottish Power
Longannet Power Station chimney demolished.

News items

22/09/2023Kincardine: Councillor fears missed opportunities over Longannet site [Alloa Advertiser]
18/09/2023Scottish Power urged to share plans for Longannet Power Station site amid hydrogen plant rumours [The Courier]
24/01/2023Kincardine: Councillor wants Longannet to enjoy freeport benefits [Dunfermline Press]
19/02/2022Kelty: Coal road discovered at former St Ninians opencast mine [Dunfermline Press]
28/12/2021What does the future hold for Longannet? [BBC News]
21/12/2021Kincardine: Talgo 'remain committed' to £40m investment at Longannet [Dunfermline Press]
10/12/2021Plans for 1,000 jobs and £40m Fife train factory derailed after HS2 announcement [The Courier]
09/12/2021Longannet Power Station: First pictures show the moment chimney stack was demolished [Fife Today]
09/12/2021Longannet power station chimney blown up [BBC News]
07/12/2021Forth skyline will change forever as giant Longannet chimney is demolished [The Courier]