John Swinney has come under fire as he announced Scottish Government funding towards a project that aims to safely store environmentally-harmful CO2 emissions.
The First Minister said £2 million would be used to explore how a pipeline could transport carbon dioxide from Scotland’s central belt to the north east – where the Acorn project is sited.
In response to concerns about the impact of such emissions on the environment, the project plans to store CO2 underneath the North Sea.
Mr Swinney, who was visiting St Fergus in Aberdeenshire, where the Acorn transport and storage terminal will be located, hailed the “innovative” initiative.
However, the Tories claimed the cash being provided was a fraction of what had originally been promised by the Scottish Government.
North East Scotland MSP Douglas Lumsden said: “This announcement is a far cry from the £80 million the SNP promised to deliver for the Acorn project more than two years ago.”
The Tory added: “John Swinney had the opportunity today to do the right thing and honour his party’s pledge in full.
“Instead, the Acorn project at St Fergus has had to make do with a pitiful slice of what was promised.”
Mr Lumsden added: “His sticking-plaster announcement is nothing short of woeful and is another betrayal to the north-east.
“The SNP government must stop harming business investment and deliver the full £80 million of promised funding to allow Acorn to become operational and help reach our net zero objectives.”
The Acorn carbon transport and storage project is working with industrial, power, hydrogen, bioenergy and waste-to-energy businesses, including those in Peterhead, Grangemouth and Mossmorran, who wish to capture CO2 emissions and send them into permanent geological storage under the North Sea.
Mr Swinney insisted the initiative “will be essential in securing the future of key industrial sites like Grangemouth and Mossmorran”.
Adding that a national gas pipeline would be a “critical component of the project”, he said he was “delighted that the Scottish Government is providing funding to accelerate this innovative work”.
The First Minister added: “We are determined to support projects like this to support the development of Scotland’s carbon capture and storage sector, and the fair and just transition of oil and gas sector.
“This announcement today demonstrates our unwavering support for carbon capture and storage.”
The First Minister said he was “confident that the UK Government will work constructively with us” to help ensure Acorn project is awarded Track 2 status, which could see it operational by 2030.
This, Mr Swinney said, would “help unlock so many opportunities not just for Scotland, but for the UK as a whole”.
Acorn managing director Nic Braley welcomed the Scottish Government’s support, adding: “Working together, Acorn and National Gas can provide a CO2 transport and storage solution to the Scottish Cluster, a diverse range of emitters from across Scotland and the rest of the UK, who are all committed to timely and cost-effective decarbonisation.
“The Scottish Cluster, with Acorn at its core, and the UK and Scottish governments can collectively make a major contribution to UK net zero commitments, supporting ambitions for clean energy, green prosperity and value for money.
“We look forward to working with both Scottish and UK governments to make the Scottish Cluster a reality.”
Jon Butterworth, chief executive officer of National Gas said: “We are committed to reaching net zero and excited to explore how our world-class gas network can be at the heart of the drive to decarbonise with carbon capture and storage.
“We welcome today’s announcement from the Scottish Government. It is a brilliant example of how government and industry can work side-by-side to deliver clean energy solutions.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: “We are taking immediate action to implement our plan for clean power by 2030, while continuing to develop cutting-edge technologies like carbon capture, usage and storage.
“This technology is vital to boost our energy independence and the Climate Change Committee describe it as a necessity, not an option, for reaching our climate goals.
“The initial cluster projects are nearing the first financial investment decisions this year, which are expected to create jobs and bring in billions of public and private investment into our industrial heartlands.”
