In pictures: Longannet - Scotland's last coal power station

THE last lump of coal has been burned at Longannet power station in Fife.
Longannet Colliery, Fife. The last 5 miners back on the surface after the last shift. L to R. Stewart Steele, Kevin Skelton, Lachie Farries, Kenneth Nicholson and Stewart Nicholson.Longannet Colliery, Fife. The last 5 miners back on the surface after the last shift. L to R. Stewart Steele, Kevin Skelton, Lachie Farries, Kenneth Nicholson and Stewart Nicholson.
Longannet Colliery, Fife. The last 5 miners back on the surface after the last shift. L to R. Stewart Steele, Kevin Skelton, Lachie Farries, Kenneth Nicholson and Stewart Nicholson.

The station has been generating electricity for nearly half a century.

The move signals the end of coal-fired electricity generation in Scotland, as the country’s largest and last remaining coal-fired power station is “desynchronised”.

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Longannet was the largest power station in Europe when it came online in 1969, capable of producing 2,400 megawatts of electricity for the grid.

Sir Derek Ezra, chairman of the National Coal Board (NCB) visiting Longannet mine in October 1975Sir Derek Ezra, chairman of the National Coal Board (NCB) visiting Longannet mine in October 1975
Sir Derek Ezra, chairman of the National Coal Board (NCB) visiting Longannet mine in October 1975

It took eight years to build and powered an average of more than two million homes annually during its working life.

Longannet was originally designed to run for just 25 years.

In its lifetime, Longannet has used over 177 million tonnes of coal, 2.7 million tonnes of heavy fuel oil, 0.5 million tonnes of biomass and other fuels, and 2.4 million cubic metres of natural gas.

Over 60 billion cubic metres of cooling water from the Forth Estuary has passed through the station.

The plant operators said the closure marks a “sad day” for everyone at Longannet and the end of the coal age in Scotland.

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