More than half of MSPs urge Chancellor to back major carbon capture project

More than half of all MSPs at Holyrood have joined forces with MPs to call for the Chancellor to immediately back a major carbon capture project in Scotland.

The huge cross-party group – which includes 71 MSPs and 10 MPs – is urging Rachel Reeves to deliver the money needed to progress the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Aberdeenshire.

Reeves has been warned that any further delay to Acorn “will jeopardise Scotland’s industrial decarbonisation, put significant private sector investment at risk and compromise our energy security”.

The Acorn project would take greenhouse gas emissions and store them in depleted gas reservoirs under the North Sea (David Jones/PA). PA Media

Carbon capture is the process of trapping emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuels.

The Acorn project would take emissions from the country’s biggest polluters and store them in depleted gas reservoirs under the North Sea.

Tuesday’s letter to the Chancellor says the Acorn project is needed as the country’s green energy transition is failing to happen fast enough to make up for the decline in the North Sea oil and gas sector.

“Acorn is Scotland’s only at-scale CO2 transport and storage solution,” it says. “Without it there is no viable route for Scottish industry to decarbonise.”

The letter, which includes politicians from the SNP, Labour, Tories and Lib Dems, says the project could generate £17.7bn for the UK economy, create 15,000 new jobs and protect 18,000 existing jobs.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon is among the dozens of MSPs to sign the letter (Robert Perry/PA). PA Media

Signatories include former first ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie and Livingston Labour MP Gregor Poynton.

The letter states: “If the UK is serious about decarbonisation, economic growth and energy security, we must move faster and more decisively on CCS.

“We urge you to take the necessary action to ensure that Acorn is delivered at pace.”

The letter also says a decision to fast-track Acorn now could quickly enable SSE’s plans for carbon capture at its Peterhead site via a proposed new power station with a generating capacity of up to 900MW.

It follows a similar call from business leaders earlier this month who warned the Chancellor that Scotland cannot afford any further delays to the project.

The nation has been hit with a series of industrial job losses in recent months, including Grangemouth – the country’s last oil refinery – where 400 workers were made redundant.

The letter follows a series of industrial job losses in Scotland, including at Grangemouth (Andrew Milligan/A) PA Media

And last week, Harbour Energy – the UK’s largest oil and gas producer – said it would cut another 250 jobs in Aberdeen.

Russell Borthwick, chief executive of the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “If the energy transition is to succeed, we need a green light for Acorn to move forward with pace and certainty.

“This letter – signed by around half of Scotland’s parliamentarians – is an important cross-party show of strength by MPs and MSPs who understand the importance of avoiding a cliff-edge and unlocking opportunities in terms of jobs and economic growth.

“It has been encouraging to see funding certainty for the HyNet and East Coast Clusters in recent weeks. But a balanced pathway toward a decarbonised future requires more CCS than just these two projects – and must put Acorn on the road to delivery.

“The reality is that jobs in north-east and central belt Scotland are being lost before our eyes. This has been brought into sharp focus in recent days.

“Only with projects at this scale can we ensure there is new work for people to move into and to ensure our industrial base can decarbonise and continue to thrive.

“We will continue to press the Chancellor to grant the go-ahead and funding certainty that this project needs to unlock future economic growth and energy security.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “We are delivering first-of-a-kind carbon capture projects in the UK, supporting thousands of jobs across the country, reigniting industrial heartlands and tackling the climate crisis.

“The energy secretary has made clear that we recognise the value of the Acorn project to Scotland and our wider clean power plan. Carbon capture requires significant resources and it is right that it is considered within the spending review.

“Alongside headquartering Great British Energy in Aberdeen, we are working with industry on a plan for the next generation of good jobs in Scotland in hydrogen, offshore wind and ports, as part of the Government’s clean energy superpower mission.”