SCOTLAND'S giant coal fired power station, Longannet in Fife, could close within 18 months if operator Scottish Power fails to strike a deal to connect it to the national grid, it has emerged.
Sources confirmed the company will
announce its closure next month unless a deal on transmission costs could be agreed.
The company must give a year's notice before taking a plant off the grid. Closure would take a short time longer, sources indicated.
The news came as the Scottish Government stepped up pressure on the UK Government to intervene.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon raised concerns over Scotland's security of energy supply in a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron.
The closure of Longannet, which generates about a quarter of Scotland's electricity, would raise the prospect of Scotland importing power from England, a situation that has been rare up to now.
Scottish Power says transmission charges - the price it pays to hook Longannet up to the grid - are too high.
Scottish Government energy minister Fergus Ewing said: "I welcome that the Prime Minister says he is taking the issue of security of electricity supply seriously, but from that assurance must then flow action to assess the negative impact of UK energy policy and regulatory regime on Scottish generation.
"I am particularly concerned that he seems relaxed that his energy policies are contributing to the potential premature closure of Longannet power station in Fife.
"Given that his colleagues in Scottish Conservatives have recognised the discrimination against Longannet and the need for secure energy generation to continue in Scotland, the First Minister has now written back to the Prime Minister calling on him to increase the transparency around the effect of UK energy policy in Scotland.
"With hundreds of direct jobs at risk at Longannet, and the viability of future thermal plants also undermined by transmission charging that is surely the least he can do."
A Scottish Government spokesman added: "We understand that unless National Grid agree a deal, Scottish Power will be forced to take a decision on the plant's future next month."
Longannet faces closure before the end of the decade as a result of targets to reduce carbon emissions.
However, Scottish Power hopes to keep the plant operational until 2018.
The Scottish Conservatives are using a Holyrood debate today to press for the construction of a new gas-fired power station to keep the lights on across the country.
Scottish Power backs the plan in the longer term.
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