Westminster Must End Dithering as European CCS Funding Deadline Looms

Indecision at Westminster must not be allowed to again put the development of CCS projects at risk, as a key European deadline looms to access a €1.5 billion pot of funding.

The UK Government has been given until the end of October to confirm whether they will help to fund companies competing for the European funding, a key requirement to enable access to the money. However, with the deadline looming, no confirmation has been forthcoming from the UK Government.

A proposed CCS installation at Peterhead Power Station by Shell and SSE is one of the projects in the running for UK Government funding, however it has already been let down twice by Westminster as dithering and indecision saw previous backers pull out in 2007. Another Scottish CCS project at Longannet power station was previously scrapped after the UK Government failed to reach an agreement.

Commenting, SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson, whose Banffshire & Buchan Coast constituency covers Peterhead said:

“Westminster has a deplorable track record when it comes to encouraging the development of CCS technologies, but it must not allow this deadline to simply pass it by.

“There is a substantial pot of European funding that Peterhead Power Station could gain access to with the right support.

“If people in Peterhead are yet again let down by dithering and delay on the part of the UK Government, then it will rightly cause outrage in the local area.

“The fact is that CCS technology can bring jobs and investment to Peterhead, and in fact it already could have if Westminster hadn’t previously scuppered efforts to bring this technology to Peterhead in 2007.

“History cannot be allowed to repeat itself, as Westminster throws jobs out the window through its dithering and delays. People in Peterhead deserve far, far better."