Longannet disappointment

Mr Stuart said: “Instead of having Longannet make a fair and reasonable contribution to the overhead of running our electricity network, we now have a situation that, because of a ludicrously punitive level of charges, the station will apparently shut early and National Grid will have to pay another power plant to fill the gap left behind.

“Scottish Renewables has long campaigned for a fairer transmission charging regime to reduce the gulf in charges for energy projects on the Scottish mainland compared to those paid south of the border.

“All generators understand that they have to make a fair and reasonable contribution to the overhead of the national grid, but the current system of transmission charges places a disproportionate burden on power plants in the north of Great Britain.

“It seems incredible that we are allowing these charges to undermine the economics of an existing power station at a time when we barely have enough capacity to meet the UK’s electricity needs over coming winters.”

Mr Stuart continued: “We have always been clear that renewables will be a part of a wider and balanced energy mix for a long time to come.

“All of this reinforces the need for reforms of transmission charges to ensure they deliver the optimal power mix that meets the UK’s key objectives of energy security, affordability, and lower carbon emissions.

“There was never a better example of why we must set a long-term vision of what our energy system has to look like, and to put in place the necessary regulations and incentives to deliver that framework.”

ScottishPower, which owns and operates Longannet, told MSPs earlier this month (March 2015) that the power station would close unless the company secured a £15 million voltage control contract from National Grid, which will run from April 2016 to September 2017. Recently National Grid announced that that contract had been awarded to Peterhead gas-fired power station, which is owned and operated by SSE.

By Jake Frith