Energy giant SSE 'shamed' into new climate assessment for Peterhead gas plant development

Energy giant SSE has been ‘shamed’ into reassessing the climate harm posed by plans for a controversial new gas-burning power station in Aberdeenshire, campaigners have said.

SSE revealed the news in a letter to charities and grassroots groups who signed an open letter to the Scottish Government in December, demanding a new Environmental Impact Assessment report of the fossil fuel project.

Research, published by the non-profit group Carbon Tracker, in October 2024, demonstrated how pollution from the project could be one million tonnes higher than the 250,000 tonnes of annual emissions that the company had stated in planning application documents.

Plans to use carbon capture technology have been met with push-back from climate campaigners who claim it is ineffective at reducing harmful emissions, and branding it as “greenwashing.”

This news likely means a delay to the project and another round of consultations with stakeholders.

Campaigners believe that if SSE conducts a thorough and honest assessment of the fossil fuel project, it will be found ‘incompatible’ with Scotland’s climate commitments.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report is a legal obligation for major developments.

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.

“Research last year exposed gaping holes in how SSE had failed to count pollution from the gas to be burned on site 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.

“The Scottish Government must properly interrogate the climate claims in this new assessment and be willing to stand up to these polluters.

“Otherwise, the Scottish public will be left to bear the cost of this carbon capture project’s inevitable failure.”

Maggie Chapman, Green MSP for North East Scotland, said, “There is no way that the Peterhead gas expansion could go ahead if it were properly held to environmental standards.

“No one can justify extracting and then burning even more gas, given we are living through a climate crisis which is turning extreme and dangerous weather events into the new normal.

“Carbon Capture and Storage projects are not reliable, they have never delivered on promised capture rates, and have been shown to be expensive and unsuccessful the world over.

“They are simply greenwash for fossil fuel companies who want to maintain business as usual.

“The fossil fuel companies have been caught out for their lies over and over again. This is not the technology we should be backing.

“SSE being shamed into returning to the assessment stage shows the scale of opposition to this dangerous and destructive development.

“The Scottish Government should be ashamed too, for not stepping up to their responsibility to ensure Scotland is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.”

SSE say the decision to undergo further assessments was made in October 2024 before the open letter, and they expect no delays to the project.

A spokesperson for the company said, “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% 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.

“With the UK Government committing £22bn 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.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on a live 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.”