Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has warned that the UK Government
needs an urgent review of its energy policy to ensure security of supply,
as Longannet power station is due to close tomorrow (24 March) after 45
years of reliable service, with 2.4 GW of power leaving the system as a result.
Ewing also paid tribute to the staff at Longannet and highlighted the work
being done to mitigate the impact of the early closure of Longannet on the
local economy. He said:
“The shambles of the Westminster Tories energy policy sees the premature
closure of Longannet happen at the same time as warnings continue about the
narrowing gap between electricity demand and supply.
“With the closure of Longannet the margin of spare capacity will get even
tighter, yet the Tories have put the brakes on the development of
replacement capacity in Scotland, onshore and offshore wind power and the
CCS project which would have resulted in increased low carbon thermal
generation at Peterhead.
“They need an urgent rethink of their failing energy policy.
“As 45 years of electricity generation at Longannet comes to an end
tomorrow (24 March) I pay tribute to all of Longannet staff for their work
keeping the lights on in Scotland, and of course also to our coalminers who
have mined the raw material to keep Longannet’s turbines turning. They have
done a sterling job and we are rightly proud of them.
“The Longannet Task Force continues to focus on the needs of the workers,
businesses and communities impacted by the early closure of Longannet Power
Station.
“We are committed to working with all the members of the Task Force to
deliver the best outcomes for those most affected by closure.
“That work builds on the huge investment that the Scottish Government and
its agencies already bring to the wider area.
“Through the Longannet Task Force we will continue to support workers and
contractors and work with communities to mitigate the impact of closure to
ensure the best possible outcome for those affected by the closure.”
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