Train plant at power station would be huge employment boost

That is according to Fife Council co-leader David Alexander as the site of the former power station has been shortlisted by Spanish company Talgo in investment plans worth £40 million.

Six sites across the UK have been earmarked by the firm as a potential host for the creation of high-speed trains as they compete to land the lucrative HS2 contract.

Talgo will know next month if they have been successful and Cllr Alexander says that Longannet has a ‘real chance’ of being selected as the manufacturer’s new plant location.

He said: “If this project can be delivered it will be a game changer for the whole area. There will be 1,000 direct jobs.

“The supply chain will then start to build up plus other ancillary operations. The jobs created will be substantially more than 1,000.

“The company promise apprenticeships and collaborative working with colleges and universities.

“These jobs will be high tech, specialist and well paid. Talgo build trains but they really view themselves as a technology company. The trains they build are futuristic.”

Longannet closed in March 2016 with 370 direct job losses, it’s thought up to 1,000 jobs were affected overall, and is considered a front-runner for the manufacturer. There is Scottish competition from Hunterston.

Cllr Alexander continued: “The advantages of Longannet are the excellent transport links.

“Port facilities are hugely important and Grangemouth is just across the Forth.

“The site is available and large enough for testing facilities in addition to manufacture and already has rail access.

“The partnerships that already exist have impressed the company, e.g the Longannet taskforce.

“The councils, Scottish Government, Scottish Power and Enterprise Scotland have already been in detailed talks.

“In addition, Fife recently won the most enterprising part of the UK award and will be competing very soon for the European award.

“The £1.3 billion City Deal agreement has also recently been signed involving the colleges, universities and the other partners with an initial focus on employability.

“Everything that can be done is being done to encourage Talgo to choose Longannet.

“We will know within months if we have been successful.”

Talgo’s UK business development director, Jon Veitch, praised the skills bases built-up in both the Hunterston and Longannet areas, through companies such as BAE Systems in Rosyth, and the talent coming through the local college and university system.

Highlighting the “connectivity” that the two Scottish sites have to offer, the director raised the prospect of trains manufactured by Talgo in the UK ultimately being exported, as well as being supplied to local markets.

Stating that securing government support is not a “primary factor” in the investment decision, he said: “This is all about establishing for the long term, because we see that there is a growing market, particularly in Canada, Africa and Australia.

“We see exports out to those areas long term.

“It will be a true factory, not just an assembly facility,” he added.

“That’s raw materials, design and it’s for a lasting legacy with a long-term view of exporting.”

Talgo president Carlos de Palacio said: “The establishment of a manufacturing facility in the UK is a significant part of Talgo’s future strategy.”

The potential of the manufacturing plant being built at the former power station site has been welcomed by politicians in West Fife.

MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, Douglas Chapman, is confident it would prove a “massive boost to the local economy”.

He said: “The closure of Longannet Power Station was a bitter blow for the people of Kincardine and the surrounding area as some people had worked there for all of their working life.

“Since the closure of the power station in 2016, I have been working with other agencies, Fife Council and the local community to return economic vibrancy to the area in the wake of that significant closure.

“There is still a lot of work to be done but if we can get Talgo to choose the Longannet site, which I am hopeful they will do because of its geographical location in the centre of Scotland, this could bring 1,000 jobs to West Fife which would be a massive boost to the local economy.

“This is a particularly important opportunity for young people who could get in on the ground floor of a major manufacturer in a rail market that is growing.”

Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville also commented that Talgo would be wise to “tap into West Fife’s huge economic potential”.

She said: “It is excellent news that Talgo is considering Longannet as a potential site for its new manufacturing plant.

“A decision to locate their factory in West Fife would be a welcome investment in the local economy with the creation of a substantial number of new jobs.

“And the company would be well placed to benefit from a talented local workforce.

“This represents an excellent opportunity for Talgo to tap into West Fife’s huge economic potential.”

Paul Lewis, managing director of Scottish Development International, said: “We’ve been working closely with public and private sector partners across Scotland over the last year to ensure that Talgo has access to the very best business environment for its factory and the right support to make it a success.

“With potential for significant new jobs and supply chain opportunities, we are delighted that both Hunterston and Longannet have been shortlisted and will continue working with all partners to help realise the economic opportunity Talgo’s investment represents.”

A Welsh port - Mostyn in Flintshire - is also under consideration from Talgo, as well as three other locations in England.

Newton-le-Willows near St Helens, Leeds and Chesterfield are Longannet’s other competitors.