'Scottish Cluster' group launches to accelerate decarbonisation

A campaign has been launched to help decarbonise Scottish and UK industry, with a cross-sector group having been created focused on delivering carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen and other low-carbon technologies.

The Scottish Cluster, led by a collective of industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters and the Acorn CCS and Hydrogen Project Partners, has been unveiled, saying it unites industries, communities and businesses.

It is billed as bringing together key stakeholders from across Scotland and crucial industries in the Scottish economy including whisky, transport, technology, infrastructure, chemicals, energy, property, manufacturing, academia, communities and the public sector.

The group aims to create a unified voice, making the case for CCS, hydrogen and low-carbon technologies in Scotland’s decarbonisation pathway – and saying industry emissions must be reduced via such options to achieve the net-zero targets of Scotland and the UK.

The campaign is pressing the Scottish and UK governments to back the decarbonisation of industry. Picture: contributed.

It has just pushed the button on the “Back the Scottish Cluster” campaign, calling on the Scottish and UK governments “to deliver the actions needed so that CCS, hydrogen and other low-carbon technologies can enable the decarbonisation of Scottish and UK industry and facilitate a low-carbon economy.

The Scottish Cluster also said it establishes a sizeable CO2 transport and storage offering, “with the potential to address up to 9 million tonnes of CO2 that currently comes from the top-emitting sectors in Scotland”.

The campaign is backed by Neccus, the association for industrial decarbonisation in Scotland. Its chief executive Mike Smith said: “Scotland is the obvious place to begin the decarbonisation journey, and has a wealth of projects, such as the Acorn CCS and Hydrogen project, which can put in place the building blocks to enable the UK to retain and expand its industrial base in a net-zero future.

"As industry contributes £26 billion per year to the Scottish economy, employing some 300,000 people, it is vital we deliver the infrastructure needed to support industry in the future.”

Nick Cooper, chief executive of Storegga, lead developer of the Acorn Project – which is described as one of the most mature UK CCS and hydrogen projects – said: “The Scottish Cluster and the “Back the Scottish Cluster” Campaign is a positive, forward-looking vision for the region’s roadmap to decarbonisation.”

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