East Lothian Council purchased the circa 90 hectares former Cockenzie Power Station site from Scottish Power with the ambitions to bring economic investment and jobs to the area, as well as enhance the sites greenspace and the public areas along the waterfront. Development of site is underway with Inchcape Offshore constructing a substation to bring circa 1GW of offshore wind energy onshore to the adjacent Scottish Power Grid Connection. Other proposed energy developments on site includes a further offshore substation (500MW) and a battery storage facility.
East Lothian Council secured £11.3 million of UK Government funding for enabling works to prepare two parts of the site for economic development opportunities. These include making a level developable area of circa 9 hectares where the former power station sat. This will be made level using material from earthwork bunds that surrounded the former coal store. Removing these bunds will create a developable area of up to 22 hectares, suitable for a range of small too large floorplate buildings. East Lothian Council are also delivering a link road to allow flexible access to the coal store site as well as improving walking and cycling access in the wider area. These works are now underway and will be completed by end of 2025 when the circa 31 hectares will be available to develop.
The former power station site was acquired by East Lothian Council in 2018 to ambitions for promoting economic growth and create employment opportunities. The vision for the site was established through a community-based master planning project and the plans identified to bring employment investment and jobs to the area, as well as enhance the public areas along the waterfront, remain our vision for the site.
