The power station consisted of two 30-megawatt (MW) generation units[2] for a peak rating of 57 MWe.

Built on the site of a golf course, it was designed to utilise low-grade coal slurry supplied from the washeries of the nearby Fife coalfield.

[2] This coal was delivered by road and rail wagons shunted into and out of elevated sidings.

Like almost all other coal-fired power stations in Scotland, Methil did not use cooling towers, instead using sea water as coolant.

[5] An exception was Methil's sister station of Barony, situated in central Ayrshire.