First Minister says UK Government must give green light on clean energy project

The First Minister for Scotland has called on the UK Government to stop “dithering” and “delaying” a project to help Scotland transition towards cleaner energy.

Humza Yousaf was visiting Peterhead Power Station in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday, where he said the UK Government should give the “green light” for the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.

The project aims to take captured CO2 emissions from industrial processes across the country and store it in the North Sea.

He said the Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting the project and asked the UK Government to do the same.

First Minister Humza Yousaf was in Peterhead on Tuesday to visit the power station.

Speaking to reporters, he said: “I’m delighted to be here in Peterhead and had a fantastic tour of the power station here.

“Why we’re here is because we want the UK Government to stop dithering, stop delaying and to finally give the greenlight to the Acorn project, to that Scottish cluster which has so much potential to help us on our path to net zero.

“And we have a great offer here in the north east of Scotland, where, of course, we have the infrastructure here, we have the workforce – all we need is that green light from the UK Government.”

He added: “Scotland’s net zero future is being held back by UK Government dithering and delay.

“The Acorn scheme should be given approval now, so that we can take advantage of our unrivalled access to a vast CO2 storage potential and our opportunities to repurpose existing oil and gas infrastructure.

“CCS will play a pivotal role in achieving a just transition for our workforces, capitalising on existing world-leading skills and expertise to create many good, green jobs in the coming years.

“Despite the UK Government confirming in March that Acorn is ‘best-placed’ to meet the eligibility to be awarded Track-2 status, which would allow access to financial support from the UK Government, they continue to fail to provide a clear timetabled solution for the next stages of the process.

“This is entirely unacceptable and layers further uncertainty on top of never-ending delays which are impacting investor confidence and which compromise our climate-change commitments and just-transition ambitions.”

The project aims to take up to five million tonnes of CO2 annually by 2030, an integral part of Scotland’s plan to achieve net zero by 2045.

Catherine Raw, managing director of SSE Thermal, who are part of the Scottish cluster group of industrial companies backing the capture and permanent storage of CO2 emissions, said: “To unlock the potential of Peterhead and the wider region, it is vital that the Scottish cluster is brought forward urgently, allowing the development of decarbonisation projects to be accelerated and Scotland’s net zero ambitions to be met.

“Doing so will not only help us meet our energy goals, it will also support industries and provide a fair and just transition for workers and communities across the north east of Scotland, including at Peterhead.

“SSE have set out plans to invest up to £40 billion in the next decade, including more than £21 billion in Scotland alone.

“Renewables will be at the heart of that investment but we also recognise the need for flexible generation to provide back-up when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.

“Our existing Peterhead station fulfils that role today, playing a critical role in Scotland’s energy system.”