Stevenson Welcomes CCS Report Hailing "Rejuvenation"

Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed a report which hails a “rejuvenation” of European interest in CCS (Carbon, Capture and Storage) technology in the North-East of Scotland.

The Global CCS Institute made the comments as several projects take place across Europe which includes carbon capture storage options in the North Sea.

It includes the Acorn project at St Fergus near Peterhead which has received funding from both the UK and Scottish Governments.

Acorn is a demonstrator project which aims to scale up, storing CO₂ under the North Sea with the use of oil and gas infrastructure.

The report said:

“CCS has enjoyed a revival in Europe, where its prowess as an industrial mitigation technology has been widely recognised.

“Eight large-scale CCS facilities are now in development. This CCS rejuvenation is being largely led by the UK, Norway and the Netherlands, where industrial clusters around North Sea storage options provide an opportunity to significantly reduce the unit cost of CO2 storage.”

Commenting, Stewart Stevenson MSP said:

“The Acorn Project Is a brilliant way to show off the potential for CCS technology in the North-East of Scotland.

“We’ve known of its potential for some time, including previous plans to invest in CCS technology at Peterhead Power Station which were sadly pulled last minute by the UK Government.

“If we wish to move forward towards a low carbon economy it is essential we invest in game-changing technology which will support this.”