Prime Minister set to green light Acorn project at St Fergus
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives in Aberdeenshire this morning and is expected to confirm a multimillion-pound investment in the Acorn carbon capture project that supporters say could bring up to 21,000 jobs to Scotland.
A joint venture between Shell UK and other companies the scheme proposed will use legacy oil and gas infrastructure to transport and store carbon.
Mr Sunak and Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps will also meet with figures from the oil and gas, renewable and nuclear industries over the course of the week after days of criticism of Mr Sunak amid concerns over a softening of the Government commitment to key net zero policies.
Project developer Storegga is ready to begin work on the project soon as the Government gives the go-ahead.
Commenting ahead of the confirmation Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid said: "I’m delighted the Acorn project at St Fergus has been selected for development in Track 2.
"It will be great to welcome the Prime Minister to my constituency to mark a monumental moment in progressing towards the UK's net zero goals.
"The Acorn CCS and Hydrogen project is critical for decarbonising the industry across Scotland, but also to support a new CCS Power Station to replace the existing one at Peterhead - the only dispatchable thermal power station north of Leeds.
"The confirmation of the Scottish Cluster selection for Track 2 validates what I have been saying all along - despite the constant negativity from the SNP who have tried to play divisive political games throughout this process.
"Their constant downplaying of this project, even predicting that it might never happen, has only served to potentially put off investors.
"It has always been a question of when, not if.
"I now look forward to continuing to support this project in its journey to becoming operational and contributing to our net zero objectives while still keeping the lights on and the economy moving."
In response, Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaign Mary Church said: “Carbon capture is a greenwashing tactic by profit obsessed fossil fuel companies to try and keep their climate-wrecking industry in business. CCS has a long history of over-promising and under-delivering yet politicians have fallen for the spin rather than face reality that the only solution to the climate crisis is a fast and fair phase out of oil and gas.
“Funding for the Acorn project would be yet another massive public subsidy to oil companies who have been making billions in profits, while ordinary people are struggling to pay the bills.
"Instead of handing more money to polluters, it is time to redirect that investment to climate solutions that we know can deliver emissions cuts and improve peoples’ lives today - such as improving public transport and insulating people’s homes to help with energy bills.”
