Exclusive:SSE 'shamed' into re-examining climate risk of controversial Peterhead gas power station

The company has insisted the extra environmental assessment will not lead to added delays to the controversial project

A Scottish energy giant has been “shamed” into re-examining the climate impact of plans for a controversial gas power station, campaigners have said.

SSE has confirmed it will undertake a new environmental impact assessment for its plans for a new gas-burning power station in Peterhead.

The proposed new facility would be build near the existing Peterhead power station

SSE and Equinor say the new station, which would have a generating capacity of up to 910MW, would be equipped with carbon capture technology, capable of removing around 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions every year.

But campaigners had claimed the proposed fossil fuels site could cause environmental harm, with research published in October suggesting pollution could be five times higher than stated in planned documents submitted by SSE.

Read more: Scottish Government accused of dozens of ministerial code breaches over controversial fossil fuel plant plans

A letter from Jade Fernandez, SSE Thermal’s head of stakeholder engagement, seen by The Scotsman, confirms that the company “will undertake additional environmental information, specifically related to upstream emissions assessment”.

She added: “We remain fully confident that planning consent will be granted and that a decarbonised Peterhead will help to keep the lights on, unlock a renewables-led system and create and retain good jobs.”

It is understood SSE informed the Scottish Government in October that the environmental study will take place.

Climate campaigners have previously claimed that if SSE conduct a thorough and honest assessment of the fossil fuel project it will be found “incompatible” with Scotland’s climate commitments.

Friends of the Earth Scotland just transition campaigner Rosie Hampton, said: “Despite the cowardly Scottish Government refusing to demand answers from SSE, it seems like public pressure has shamed the company into redoing its climate harm assessment.

Read more: How Scottish energy giant SSE is powering UK’s green future and supporting 50,000 jobs

“Research last year exposed gaping holes in how SSE had failed to count pollution from the gas to be burned onsite and hugely overestimated the effectiveness of carbon capture.

“If this analysis is conducted thoroughly and honestly it will expose how new fossil fuels are incompatible with Scotland’s climate commitments. In their attempts to lock in expensive fossil fuel burning for another 35 years, these greedy energy companies were caught red handed making claims about carbon capture that do not stand up to the slightest scrutiny.”

Scottish Greens MSP, Maggie Chapman, claimed the decision “shows the scale of opposition to this dangerous and destructive development”.

She added: “The initial environmental impact assessment has been shown to have failed to account for almost 1 million tonnes of climate pollution per year associated with the project.

Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman (Picture: John Devlin)

"But it’s not just SSE, the Scottish Government should be ashamed too, for not stepping up to their responsibility to ensure Scotland is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.”

SSE has refuted claims the environmental study is being undertaken due to pressure from campaigners and does not anticipate the extra work will lead to delays.

A spokesperson for SSE Thermal said: “With the UK Government committing £22 billion to carbon capture, there can be no doubt over its role in delivering net zero.

“Carbon capture will help to displace older unabated assets and will be absolutely critical if we’re to achieve a clean power system. Our planning application, submitted in early 2022, sets out the huge emissions reductions the proposed flexible plant at Peterhead can deliver with the ability to capture at least 90 per cent of emissions.

“In October 2024, in line with evolving planning policy, we communicated the decision to submit additional information to the Scottish Government’s energy consents unit. We remain fully confident that planning consent will be granted and that a decarbonised Peterhead will help to keep the lights on, unlock a renewables-led system and create and retain good jobs.”