Climate campaigners have complained about Scottish ministers’ handling of plans for a new gas-fuelled power station in Peterhead.
Friends of the Earth Scotland say John Swinney and other ministers have treated the plans from SSE and Norwegian oil giant Equinor as a “foregone conclusion”.
The companies say their plans for a new 910-megawatt gas power station and carbon capture facility will ultimately replace an existing plant and slash emissions.
A number of environmental organisations have already called on Mr Swinney to reject the plans.
Scotland on Sunday reported that Friends of the Earth Scotland have written to the First Minister alleging 28 separate breaches of the ministerial code.
The campaigning charity points to meetings between ministers, civil servants and developers, saying records of these talks are not available.
Friends of the Earth Scotland also claim several statements from ministers could have prejudiced the planning process, including the then-first minister Humza Yousaf saying he was “really impressed” with the site’s future plans during a visit to Peterhead last year.
Alex Lee, a climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “These 28 breaches of the ministerial code show a deeply troubling pattern of behaviour right across the Scottish Government.
“Public concerns have been deliberately ignored to try and push through a climate-damaging planning application in the interests of greedy energy companies.
“Ministers and civil servants have been caught out playing fast and loose with the rules, in favour of a polluting project that risks locking households into higher energy bills for decades to come.
“Our investigations show that the Scottish Government has treated the outcome of this planning application as a foregone conclusion right from the beginning and has failed to follow the planning process and assess the evidence objectively.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman told the newspaper: “The Scottish Government will consider any complaint in line with usual practice.
“It would not be appropriate to comment on a live planning application.
“A decision will be taken by ministers in due course, following consideration of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.”
In May, a spokesperson for SSE Thermal said: “Credible organisations such as the Climate Change Committee are clear that carbon capture technology will be essential to decarbonising the power system on the way to net zero.
“As Scotland’s only large-scale flexible power station, decarbonising Peterhead is of significant importance which is why we continue to progress plans for the new Peterhead carbon capture power station, which would provide vital low-carbon flexible back-up to renewables.
“The new plant will ultimately replace the existing station and in doing so will deliver huge emissions reductions. We are also exploring how to neutralise residual emissions through negative emissions technologies, recognising the importance of this to reaching net zero.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson told the PA news agency: “Any claim suggesting Scottish Ministers have reached a decision on the planning application for a new power station at Peterhead is simply untrue.
“A decision will be taken by ministers in due course, following consideration of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.
“The Scottish Government has yet to receive any official correspondence on this matter. When received, we will consider any complaint in line with usual practice.
“It would not be appropriate to comment on a live planning application.”
