Oil price rises made the plant uneconomic to run, although its 700ft chimney makes it one of the best-known landmarks on the Clyde.

Now ScottishPower is in talks with an Indian energy company that would lead to the power station being taken down and shipped to Gujarat.

Environmentalists have criticised the prospect of a deal, saying it would undermine Britain's attempts to reduce carbon emissions.

However, Essar Power is understood to be putting together a (pounds) 300m package to buy the plant's three turbines and transformers, transport them to India, and reassemble the power station.

India's developing economy and booming population have generated a huge demand for energy.

As a result, the Delhi government has embarked on a large expansion of its power programme, and last year opened its doors for the importation of second-hand energy plants.

However, environmental campaigners say that Britain is exporting its pollution abroad and undermining its carbon targets.

Jim Footner, Greenpeace climate campaigner, said: "The idea of us exporting another dirty fossil plant for economic reasons while we have these stringent Kyoto climate targets, which we are endeavouring to adhere to in the UK, is hypocritical.

"This is a global problem. You cannot simply export that problem somewhere else and not think it has an impact on global targets."

Inverkip was Scotland's first oil-fired power station. Construction began in 1970 but the rising cost of oil made the plant uneconomic almost as soon as it began generating electricity.

It was designed to produce more than 2000mw of energy but rarely worked at full capacity, except during the 1984 miners' strike

Inverkip ceased operating during the late 1980s, but was kept on as a strategic reserve.

Since then, it has been advertised for sale on the internet and has been linked with a move to China.

Four years ago, ScottishPower sold one of the plant's spare transformers, weighing 540 tonnes, to the Drax power station in north Yorkshire. It replaced equipment damaged in a major fire.

A spokesman for ScottishPower confirmed that Inverkip was up for sale.

"A number of foreign concerns have expressed interest in Inverkip power station over the past 10 years. One is currently carrying out a technical and financial feasibility study into its possible relocation," he said.

"However, it is still early days and much work would have to be done."

Essar Power plans to run the plant on residues from an oil refinery it is building in Jamnagar.

The company is expected to take a final decision next month on whether buying a second-hand plant is more cost-effective than building a power station from scratch.

It is understood that any deal would be underwritten by the Indian government, which is trying to increase capacity by 100,000mw during the next 10 years.

Although 80% of the population now has access to electricity, power cuts are common.

As a result, oil consumption is expected to grow rapidly as foreign companies, such as Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy, eye the country's reserve of 5.4 billion barrels.