WORKERS at Longannet have been left with a “sense of shock” after news that the Kincardine power station’s expected closure will put 1000 jobs under threat.

Owners Scottish Power announced on Monday that they expect to close the plant early next year after losing a crucial head-to-head battle with Peterhead’s SSE-owned power station to win a last chance deal to supply generating back-up power.

West Fife and coastal villages councillor Willie Ferguson, who has worked at Longannet for almost 40 years, told the Press that the workforce was taking the news hard.

“Everyone is very disappointed – the staff’s heads are down,” he said. “I don’t think anyone thought it would get to this stage. We thought an agreement would have been reached.

“There was a sense of shock and it’s not until the day after that it really impacts what it means to you as an individual. The main thing is that it’s going to impact people’s livelihoods.

“It’s so disappointing. My father worked here before me and that’s the case for a lot of staff whose family had been there before them.

“I’ve been here for 38 years, it becomes part of your life. For me personally it’s a big knock. I think I speak for all staff by saying we take pride in what we do and what we achieve here.

"This news has really taken the legs from us. We didn’t think there would be a complete closure.” Although the station itself employs around 260 people, Cllr Ferguson pointed out that the wider-reaching impact of the closure is set to shake jobs and communities across Fife and wider Scotland.

“It’s a major employer locally in the West Fife villages and Forth Valley area but it’s wider than that,” he said. “There are also sub-contractors, suppliers, lorry drivers, mechanics – there will be a massive impact on the wider community in general.

“The power station has also showed its commitment to social responsibility in the community – just this week it made a generous donation to Culross Community Council to go towards a new playpark and it also helped with costs towards refurbishing the market cross in Kincardine.” The facility’s future had been in doubt for some time following the breakdown in talks between Scottish Power and the National Grid over transmission costs.

After struggling with crippling £40million charges to connect to the National Grid, losing out on the deal to generate back-up power was the last straw and Cllr Ferguson believes that efforts now have to go towards protecting the station’s employees.

“What we need to do now is gather as much support as we can and get everyone behind us to help safeguard these jobs,” he said.

“It’s going to be a challenge over the next 12 months. We were always living in the hope that there would be a change but people’s heads will be down and we have to keep motivated. We’re not going to lie down though, we’re going to do all we can.” Fife Council leader David Ross branded the news a “devastating blow” for the area and said he had been in touch with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Energy Minister Fergus Ewing to discuss a joint task force and ways to support the employees at Longannet as well as the local economy.

“We need to act now to prepare for the impact of the early closure of Longannet but this won’t stop us continuing to explore all options to retain the plant at least until 2020,” he added.

Both the SNP and Conservative General Election candidates for Dunfermline and West Fife also weighed in on the decision, with Douglas Chapman saying he was “very disappointed and angry” about the fate of the station.

“What is at stake is 1000 Scottish jobs and I will be meeting with the Scottish Government at the earliest opportunity to see if this dreadful decision is recoverable, although the situation looks dire,” he said.

“This is a very dark day in Fife in more ways than one and a dreadful day for 1000 families across Scotland.” His Conservative counterpart, James Reekie, said, “This is tough news for West Fife, the workforce and their families. It is important that both the Scottish and UK governments now show leadership and work together to ensure that the workforce receives the assistance that they need.” Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty said, “Today’s announcement by Scottish Power is extremely disappointing news for the workforce, their families and the wider community around Kincardine.

"For six decades coal power stations have operated in Kincardine, powering hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across Central Scotland. We must now focus all our efforts on helping the community to adapt.

“I welcome the announcement by Fife Council that they want to see a task force established immediately and I hope the SNP will now drop their opposition to this task force. I am therefore, along with Cara Hilton MSP, calling on the Scottish Government to live up to their responsibilities to support these efforts.” Ms Hilton, MSP for Dunfermline, added, “The announced early closure of Longannet is a devastating blow to the workforce in and around the Kincardine area.

“The reopening of Kincardine Train Station was something Thomas Docherty and I discussed with Network Rail when we met them last year with specific reference to the feasibility of returning passenger rail services to Kincardine.

"One of the main stumbling blocks, aside from cost, was that the line was needed for coal trains serving Longannet. If the existing line will no longer be used by coal trains, this opens up the possibility of it being used for passenger services between Kincardine and Alloa.

“Thomas and I have requested that Sestran commission a study into the feasibility of restoring passenger services to and from Kincardine on the basis that we feel this would not only be a huge boost to the local economy but it would be a real boost to Fife commuters.” Energy Minister Mr Ewing said his thoughts were with the direct employees and other workers dependent on the plant and called the expected premature closure “very concerning”.

“We will look to engage all relevant authorities and agencies alongside Scottish Power to secure the best possible outcomes for those affected throughout the local economy and further afield,” he said.

“This activity will require cross-party support and close working between all of the relevant authorities.

“Of course there has been broad consensus that the electricity system in Scotland will be less resilient if Longannet closes prematurely.

"It is vital therefore that these discussions also explore all possible options for averting the premature closure of the site, such as possible action to address discriminatory transmission charges, whether additional National Grid contracts could be available and whether the restoration coal proposal – mentioned in the UK Budget – could help the station’s economics.” Neil Clitheroe, Scottish Power’s retail and generation CEO, said, “We are extremely disappointed with National Grid’s decision as Scottish Power submitted a competitive bid that reflected our commitment to protecting the immediate future of Longannet Power Station.

"As we have said previously, the decision by National Grid means that, in all likelihood, we will be forced to announce the closure of Longannet by March 2016.

“Everyone will appreciate that it is a concerning time for all our people and we will do everything in our power to manage the outcome of this process as best we can.”