Lease sought for land to build power station in Kirkcaldy

The facility would generate electricity as part of the National Grid’s strategy to secure alternative power generation sources following the closure of a number of larger scale thermal power stations around the UK.

Planning consent for the proposed power station was formally approved on April 24 this year and the proposal would see investment of around £7million, providing a number of new skilled technical jobs.

The company behind the proposal, Sainc Energy, the same one behind the abandoned plans for a controversial biomass plant in Glenrothes, said it hopes to begin construction of the new plant in the second half of 2018 and be connected to the national grid in 2020.

In a report by Robin Presswood, Fife Council’s head of economy, planning and employability services, to the assets, property and facilities committee, due to be heard today, it said that following negotiations with the tenant, provisional agreement had been reached on commercial lease terms.

The principal terms were due to be considered in private by the committee.

Mr Presswood said that planning conditions for the facility included detailed recommendations from SEPA and the council’s protective services section.

“The proposal to construct a gas fired power station and associated battery storage facility on the subjects would provide additional capacity to the wider national power supply infrastructure, as well as representing a significant capital investment and limited number of new, technical jobs,” he added.

The area of land involved is 1.7 hectares on an area of the industrial estate zoned for business and known as Dunnikier Business Park.