ScottishPower has said it will demolish two steel 'Precipitator' structures next week as part of ongoing work at Cockenzie Power Station.

The 300-tonne structures are predominantly made of steel and reach a height of 34 metres, with a width of 10 metres by 12.5 metres.

Decommissioning work at the station has been undertaking since April this year, following Cockenzie's closure after 45 years of operation, and the full demolition programme at Cockenzie is set to continue for at least another 18 months.

In this latest phase of works, the removal of the steel structures will be managed by ScottishPower's contractor Brown and Mason. The controlled explosion will take place on Tuesday 17 December at 2pm.

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ScottishPower has been working closely with East Lothian Council and Police Scotland to prepare for the demolition event. The structures are located on the seaward side of the main building and an exclusion zone will be required immediately before and after the event. This will entail the short term closure of the section of the John Muir Way that runs parallel to the sea wall. No road closures will be required.

George Camps, Project Manager at ScottishPower said: "Decommissioning work at Cockenzie has been progressing well, and the focus up until now has been on removing internal kit from the turbine hall. Working with Brown and Mason we have concluded that the most effective way to demolish the steel precipitator structures is by controlled explosion.

"We have been working very closely with the local authority and the police to ensure that the event is planned safely. It is programmed that the remaining 14 precipitator structures will also be removed by controlled explosive demolition, and we will look to plan these further events in the coming months."

(JP/IT)