SSE Thermal and Equinor are redeveloping Peterhead Power Station with Scotland's first such carbon capture facility.
The Just Transition Commission visited the site to understand how the plans could deliver benefits to communities and workers in the North East of Scotland.
The project should connect into the Aberdeenshire cluster’s carbon dioxide transport and storage infrastructure.
The 910 MegaWatt Peterhead plant will continue to provide electricity to a back-up renewable generation, while securing low-carbon jobs for workers in the region.
It could be operational as early as 2027, if planning is approved for the scheme.
The project is currently undergoing evaluation. At the end of March, a Section 36 planning application was submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit.
The proposed new station could capture an average of one and a half million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, which would represent at least 5% of the UK Government’s 2030 target for carbon capture and storage.
In 2020, SSE became one of the first companies to publish a Just Transition Strategy, which outlined how the company will approach the social implications of delivering net zero, from jobs and training to working with communities.
The independent Just Transition Commission, tasked with scrutinising the Scottish Government’s sectoral and regional Just Transition plans, include SSE’s chief sustainability officer Rachel McEwen.
Just Transition Commissioner Richard Hardy said: “The conversations we had with workers and apprentices at Peterhead Power Station underlined the need for decisive leadership as we accelerate the changes necessary for a net zero future: leadership and engagement with workers and communities is vital for a future that doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the 1980s."
Hannah Bronwin, director of business development at SSE Thermal, added: “Our project at Peterhead will not only make a major difference in reducing carbon emissions and supporting a stable and secure transition to net zero, it will help retain jobs in the North East of Scotland and create significant economic benefits across the wider region.”
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