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PM Fails Once Again to Commit to North-East Carbon Capture Project
Gordon MP Richard Thomson has hit out at the UK Government’s failure once again to commit to the North-east’s carbon capture and storage project.
Mr Thomson is a strong supporter of the Scottish Cluster Campaign which is backed by a wide range of advocates from industry and across local and regional communities, including Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, along with the Scottish Government. Central to this is the Acorn Project, focussed on the St Fergus Gas Terminal.
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Rishi Sunak was asked by Conservative MP David Duguid to confirm the UK Government’s “ongoing commitment” to the Acorn Project and for an update on the timeline. In response, the Prime Minister merely restated plans to support the establishment of four CCS sites by 2030.
Commenting, Richard Thomson MP said:
“There’s no transition to Net Zero without the North-east, and the Acorn project is a crucial piece in that jigsaw. It’s therefore extraordinary that the Prime Minister doesn’t seem to recognise this and instead continues the approach of his predecessors, constantly relegating this vital project behind other priorities.
“This further snub to the North-east – this time from the Prime Minister – follows the refusal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer last September to meet a cross-party group of North East MPs on this issue.
“It’s abundantly clear that the Conservative Government is only interested in harvesting the revenues from the North Sea whilst sacrificing the North-east’s future. We need a firm commitment, otherwise not only does the North-east lose out but the challenge of tackling climate change is also set-back.”
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