Scottish business leaders urge UK to throw weight behind Acorn CCS

Scotland’s business community has urged the UK government to back Aberdeenshire’s Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project.

A variety of groups, including the CBI, Prosper, the Institute of Directors, Scottish Financial Enterprise and Scottish Chambers of Commerce, wrote a joint letter to chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves.

They warned that failing to act now threatens thousands of jobs, billions of pounds of investment, and economic growth.

ETZ Ltd chairman Ian Wood warned that further delays to Acorn CCS could have serious economic consequences for Scotland.

“Acorn CCS is a crucial catalyst needed to protect skilled jobs and unlock billions of pounds in investment,” he said. “The UK government must act now to develop this transformational opportunity that will support industrial decarbonisation across the UK as well as much needed economic growth.”

The Acorn project  is a joint venture between Shell, Harbour Energy and North Sea Midstream Partners. Centred on the St Fergus gas terminal, it involves capturing and transporting up to 20m tonnes per year of carbon dioxide from industrial sites for storage under the North Sea.

It is a one of the projects being developed under the so-called “track-2 process”. The track-1 projects, the HyNet and East Coast Cluster, were selected in October 2021, with nearly £22bn in funding allocated for them in October last year

While the Scottish government previously announced an £80 million funding tranche would help develop the Acorn project, the UK government has been slow to provide its backing.

And until it provides funding, the Scottish government cannot distribute its £80m contribution.

Developers and other stakeholders have previously called on clarity from the UK government about funding to provide investment certainty. This lead energy secretary Ed Miliband to say he would look at ways to speed up approval for Acorn.

© Supplied by Storegga

The letter pointed to economic research estimating that accelerating Acorn will add £17.7bn to UK GDP by 2050, create over 10,800 jobs during construction, and sustain 4,700 long-term operational roles.

A fast-tracked decision would also enable early carbon capture at Peterhead Power Station, a 900MW gas-fired plant critical to UK energy security.

Additionally, Acorn CCS is vital for Grangemouth, Scotland’s largest industrial emitter, where rising carbon costs could put thousands of jobs at risk.

Scottish Chambers of Commerce chief executive Dr Liz Cameron stressed the urgency of government action.

“Scotland cannot afford further delays on Acorn CCS,” she said. “The government has pledged a just transition for our workforce, but those promises must now be matched with decisive investment.

“This is a pivotal moment for Scotland’s economy, and we need clear signals that Westminster is serious about delivering a net-zero future that includes industrial communities like ours.”