Published: Wednesday, 30th July, 2008 12:00
Longannet leads the way in cleaner coal technology
By Nicola Findlay
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Longannet Power Station near Kincardine.
Pic by: Mike Gilbert
LONGANNET Power Station is set to be at the forefront of developing cleaner coal technology.
It is in the lead to become the UK’s first demonstration plant for carbon emissions capture and storage.
This has been welcomed by West Fife and Coastal Villages SNP Councillor William Walker, who believes it will bring sustainable development into the future for Longannet and the community around it.
Mr Walker, a chartered engineer and member of both the Fife Council environment, enterprise and transportation committee and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Board, said, “This is all very positive news for Fife.
“This all fits in well with Scottish Power’s quest to become the cleanest possible generator of electricity using coal.
“The company is already spending some £170 million on flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) which is another step towards the cleanest possible operation.
“Longannet has come a long way since being labelled ‘the dirty man of Europe’ just a few years ago. And, of course, we have the 25MW biomass coming along soon.
Mr Walker added, “The Scottish Government is currently looking at the possibility of re-starting deep-mining of coal in West Fife, so everything is beginning to fall into place for long-term energy generation in Fife under the best environmental and economic conditions.
“Wind farms are fine but are intermittent in electricity generation and require a far bigger back-up of “firm” electricity such as with coal, so that the lights, literally, don’t go out.
Mr Walker said that with a methane gas survey and extraction project also due to start soon in the area, West Fife was now well on track to become a power-house of modern energy conversion with all that means for local, quality employment and sustainable development into the future.
A House of Commons environmental audit committee recently called for urgent action to deal with the carbon emissions caused by burning fossil fuels and said it was very unlikely that the Government would meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets.
It also stated that no more coal-fired power stations should be built until the viability of carbon capture and storage – which has the potential to reduce emissions by up to 90 per cent – has been explored.
A spokesman for Scottish Power, which is leading the Longannet consortium, said, “Scottish Power is looking to the future and is one of a number of energy companies working with the UK Government to develop carbon capture and storage equipment.”
ScottishPower is also investing £170 million in flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) equipment to prevent noxious gasses from escaping into the atmosphere, with a biomass plant also in the pipeline.
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