COCKENZIE Power Station shut down its four turbines for the last time this morning (Friday).

At approximately 8.30am, ScottishPower engineers ceased generation at the 45-year-old coal-fired station, as it used the last of its permitted running hours.

In 2011, ScottishPower received planning permission from The Scottish Government for a 1,000MW gas-fired Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station to be located on the existing site at Cockenzie. The company is still evaluating its options for the development of the site, and has recently called for clarity on a capacity mechanism for thermal generation as part of the Energy Bill.

About 100 members of staff are currently employed at the station and following more than 12 months of engagement with staff and trade unions, many will now be moving into other power stations or business areas with ScottishPower, whilst some others have opted to take retirement or a severance package.

Neil Clitheroe, ScottishPower's CEO of energy retail and generation, said: "It is the end of an era for ScottishPower and for the people at Cockenzie Power Station, who I would like to thank for all of their hard work and commitment over the last 45 years.

"When Cockenzie became operational in 1967, the world was a very different place, but the station was designed to such a high standard that it played a pivotal role in maintaining the security of electricity supplies in Britain for more than four decades.

"Cockenzie is one of a number of core power stations in Britain that are due to cease operations this year, and it is vitally important that we receive clarity from the Energy Bill to allow companies like ours to be confident in making investment decisions for a new generation of replacement gas power stations.

"We have planning consent for a new gas-fired station here in Cockenzie, but like many other companies, we are unable to commit to new investment in gas generation until we fully understand how the market will work in the future."

Cockenzie generated more than 150 Terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity in its lifetime, enough to power the average annual electricity needs of more than one million homes every year during its 45 years of operation.

In total, it is estimated that more than 10,000 people have been employed at Cockenzie, during construction and operation, with many thousands of other jobs supported in the wider supply chain and local area.

Until the end of March, ScottishPower staff will still be on-site before the process of decommissioning the power station begins. All of the old plant is due to be stripped from inside the turbine hall, some of which will be recycled and put to use at other power stations in ScottishPower's fleet.

Full story in next week's Courier, out on Thursday.