ScottishPower has announced a £25 million upgrade of Longannet Power Station.
The major upgrade at the Fife plant, the third-largest coal power station in Europe, will see an overhaul of one of the station’s four generating units.
Up to 650 workers will be on site at the Kincardine plant, opened in 1969, over four months on the project.
More than 50 individual contracts have been awarded as part of the project, marking a considerable investment in the power station and helping secure its future.
Longannet has been helping power Scotland for more than 40 years, and the company said this upgrade will ensure continued efficient operation.
It comes on the back of a £20m upgrade last year for two of the station’s units. This included the inspection, replacement and repair of Longannet’s boiler, turbine replacement parts, pump and valve components and other planned maintenance work.
This new work will be on unit three, which alone is capable of generating up to 600MW of electricity around 10% of Scotland’s average peak electricity demand.
The work will encompass the full replacement of major boiler parts, including the pipe-work, the replacement of the generator transformer, and an overhaul of valves, pumps and motors.
ScottishPower Retail & Generation’s chief executive Neil Clitheroe said: “Longannet is the largest power station in Scotland, and it plays a pivotal role in producing electricity supplies for millions of homes and businesses.
“We have invested in the station for more than 40 years, and just last year we undertook a £20m upgrade project on another unit.
“The work over the summer this year will help the station to remain an important part of Scotland’s energy mix.”
Mr Clitheroe added that, with the closure of Cockenzie Power Station earlier this year, it was vital the company continued to invest in major stations like Longannet.
“As well as the station’s importance for Scotland’s energy security, it also supports thousands of jobs across a wide and varied supply chain,” he said.
“Beyond our investment in the station’s maintenance, we have also heavily invested in its environmental performance in recent years, meaning that the station will operate efficiently for many years to come.”
Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty said: “Longannet not only continues to play a vital role in keeping the lights on in Scotland, but with this further investment, continues to play a vital role in the local Fife economy.”