THE closure of Longannet power station in Fife could lead to a sharp rise
in the cost of redeveloping brownfield sites in Scotland, construction
experts are warning.

Last week’s closure of the site after 46 years means a vital by product
from coal-fired power stations used in the construction industry will no
longer be produced in Scotland.

Pulverised fuel ash (PFA) is used in cement, concrete and other building
products. It is also a vital component of the grout that is used for
stabilising former mine workings across central Scotland before development
can take place.

“This will have a huge impact on new development in Scotland and eventually
across the UK,” said Neil Sutherland, regional director for environmental,
engineering and mining consultancy Wardell Armstrong.

The increased transport cost of bringing in PFA from England or Europe
could see prices double, he added, potentially making many development
projects unviable.

The construction industry has already lost the supply of PFA from Cockenzie
power station, which closed in 2013. The ash is used in many developments
in central Scotland, with Longannet currently being the sole source in
Scotland of the huge quantities of the material needed.

Neil Amner, a partner in transport and environmental law with MacRoberts,
said a rise in ground preparation costs could have a huge impact on the
construction industry and added: “Developers and landowners will now be
looking very closely at their contract terms to see how big an impact these
costs will have on their current and future negotiations. The public sector
could suffer a double hit due to higher costs on projects yet lower net
receipts on land sales.”


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