Energy Minister Fergus Ewing today welcomed the launch of the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) Carbon Capture and Storage Competition.

Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: "I welcome the launch of DECC's Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Competition despite two previous false starts, and am keen to work with DECC as part of the competition process to ensure that it results in the development of CCS.

"Following the disappointment last year over Longannet and the previous UK Government's abandonment of the earlier Peterhead CCS project, it is essential that Westminster clearly demonstrates its commitment to supporting the commercial development of CCS, especially as the continued commitment from both industry and the Scottish Government is so clear.

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"In Scotland we are working to deliver a diverse and balanced energy portfolio to provide us with secure and affordable heat and electricity for decades to come. We have massive geological stores, high-value technological expertise and vast experience of working in deep waters offshore. We have Scottish powers over emissions control and have taken important internationally recognised initiatives to streamline the planning processes for CCS projects".

"That is why Scotland remains in the vanguard of what could become game-changing technology, and we will work with industry partners to ensure that Scotland is successful."

(GK)