The Leader of Aberdeenshire Council has welcomed news that plans for a carbon capture and storage centre (CCS) at Peterhead could be resurrected.

The original scheme, which involved converting natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, was promoted by BP and its partners. It was abandoned in 2007 and the council expressed huge disappointment at the time.

Now, new plans for the gas fired power station at Peterhead are being resurrected by SSE and Shell. Work could start on the project within a year if EU and UK Government funding is agreed.

The plans would involve capturing flue gases from the power station, compressing and liquefying them and securely storing them in depleted oil and gas reservoirs under the sea bed.

CCS is seen as vital to the future of energy production from coal and gas, as it is so effective at reducing the CO² emissions which are produced.

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The project aims to capture 85% – 90% of carbon generated from one of three existing gas turbines at Peterhead Power Station, it would then be compressed and liquefied and transported to the Goldeneye field where it would be stored.

If the project comes to fruition, it would be a global first for carbon capture and storage on gas.

A study has indicated that the scheme could create over 900 jobs and generate over £590 million of investment during the construction phase.

Leader of the Council, Anne Robertson said: “Peterhead has always been an important part of the UK’s power infrastructure, but it is fast becoming a vital component in CCS.

“The Northlink subsea interconnector cable between UK and Norway will land at Peterhead, the Moray Firth offshore wind farm grid connection will be at Peterhead and the high voltage direct current (HVDC) link to Teeside will leave from Peterhead.

This project also fits perfectly within Energetica and will help to deliver the low carbon aspirations for the area.

“The economic opportunity for the area is huge and we must do whatever we can to support this and encourage Government funding from both the UK and EU in order to secure this project in Peterhead.

“All the information we have indicates that Peterhead is a viable and strong option. The North East is used to playing a lead role in developing world-class technology in the energy sector and I am delighted that Peterhead is once again being considered for this important project.”

(GK)