March 2016 saw the closure of Britain’s second largest power station, making Longannet the largest defunct power station in Europe. Obviously @SpiderMonkey and I were pretty excited to see this one so planned in a trip across the northern border as soon as we could.
Longannet was a coal fired power station in Fife and had a capacity of 2400 megawatts. Officially opened in 1973, the station was later converted to co-fire biomass and sludge. Owners Scottish Power opted to switch back to firing coal alone, ending the use of biomass only two years after conversion. The station didn't have cooling towers, instead utilising a mile-long manmade river to allow the water to cool sufficiently before being released back into the Forth.
Making our approach we were greeted by an amazing sight. The power station, despite being 43 years looks ultra-modern, lighting up the night with huge transparent walls all the way around. The place really is a sight to behold at night.
Making our way into the site we notice how many cars are parked in the car park and spot the spot security patrolling in our direction. It was clear the place was going to be busy.
We got up high to assess the place and noticed the turbines are made of Lego.
As you can see by the state of this sign, the workers ignored the bit about keeping the place clean.
The use of transparent walls wasn't exclusive to the exterior - a huge wall of glass separates the turbine hall from the switchrooms and control room. The high-vis we could see wandering around on the other side of the glass put the turbine level out-of-bounds for our visit. We managed to get up high for a few shots, and I'm sure I’ll be back for a few more turbine shots once the place gets a bit quieter – I'm sure this place will look lovely bathed in sunlight through all those clear walls.
The power station had over a million miles of coal conveyors...
Longannet was a coal fired power station in Fife and had a capacity of 2400 megawatts. Officially opened in 1973, the station was later converted to co-fire biomass and sludge. Owners Scottish Power opted to switch back to firing coal alone, ending the use of biomass only two years after conversion. The station didn't have cooling towers, instead utilising a mile-long manmade river to allow the water to cool sufficiently before being released back into the Forth.
Making our approach we were greeted by an amazing sight. The power station, despite being 43 years looks ultra-modern, lighting up the night with huge transparent walls all the way around. The place really is a sight to behold at night.
Making our way into the site we notice how many cars are parked in the car park and spot the spot security patrolling in our direction. It was clear the place was going to be busy.
We got up high to assess the place and noticed the turbines are made of Lego.
As you can see by the state of this sign, the workers ignored the bit about keeping the place clean.
The use of transparent walls wasn't exclusive to the exterior - a huge wall of glass separates the turbine hall from the switchrooms and control room. The high-vis we could see wandering around on the other side of the glass put the turbine level out-of-bounds for our visit. We managed to get up high for a few shots, and I'm sure I’ll be back for a few more turbine shots once the place gets a bit quieter – I'm sure this place will look lovely bathed in sunlight through all those clear walls.
The power station had over a million miles of coal conveyors...
