March 31, 2016

Scotland Is Now Coal-Free after More Than a Century

The last coal-fired power plant in Scotland has been shut down as the system moves toward renewables

*Photo of* *Longannet Power State in 2011 by John* (*CC4.0*)

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

At 3pm on March 24, the last coal-fired power plant in Scotland was taken out of service. The 2.4 Gigawatt (GW) Longanett Power Station in Fife, north of Edinburgh, had been in operation since 1969. Its closure is a significant step toward Scotland’s goal of supplying 100% of its electricity demand using renewables by 2020.

When it came into service, Longanett Power Station was the largest power plant in Europe and it would go on to burn through more than 177 million tonnes of coal over its lifetime. The closure was announced last summer after by Scottish Power, who cited high grid connection charges as the major reason for its closure. According to Neil Clitherow, chief executive of retail and generation at Scottish Power, the company had “explored every potential option to keep the station open” but that the conditions just weren’t right.

In 2015, more than half (57.7%) of electricity consumed in Scotland was produced using renewables, up from 32% in 2013 and reflecting tremendous growth in wind power in Scotland.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

*Credit: The Scottish Government.* *“Energy in Scotland 2015*"

Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism

Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.

When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.

Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber

Thank you,

Jeanna Bryner, Editor in Chief, Scientific American