Launched today (13th May), the Scottish Cluster aims to unify Scottish industries, communities and business, calling on the Scottish and UK Governments to deliver the actions needed to allow such technologies blossom to full potential.
With the potential to address up to nine million tonnes of CO2 that currently comes from the top emitting sectors in Scotland, the Scottish Cluster hopes to establish a very large CO2 transportation and storage solution, including shipping CO2 through Scottish ports.
Looking at what could be achieved, the group emphasised Scotland’s potential, highlighting the Acorn Project, led by Storegga, Shell and Harbour Energy, as one of the most mature UK CCS and hydrogen projects and is positioned to be the most cost-effective and scalable CCS project in the UK.
By the mid-2020s, Acorn’s CCS and hydrogen systems will provide critical backbone infrastructure for the Scottish Cluster. Because this infrastructure can scale as the demand to store CO2 grows, it can cost effectively transform Scotland’s carbon intensive industries and help build a fairer, more resilient economy while sustaining and creating low carbon jobs across the whole of the UK.
Commenting on the Cluster launch, Nick Cooper, CEO of Storegga, said, “The Scottish Cluster and the “Back the Scottish Cluster” Campaign is a positive, forward-looking vision for the region’s roadmap to decarbonisation.”
“It unifies the voices of Scottish industry and will look to highlight the importance of CCS, hydrogen and other low carbon technologies in Scotland to aid the country, the UK and Europe in tackling climate change and meeting net zero goals at the same time as creating and preserving jobs in industries which struggle to decarbonise totally.”