Question reference: S5W-36174
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 11 March 2021
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Current status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the creation of supply chain jobs from carbon, capture, usage and storage projects off Scotland’s coastline.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports the development of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) as a common whole-system decarbonisation infrastructure with the flexibility to adapt over time to play a central role across the decarbonisation strategies of key sectors such as heat, industry and power.
Scottish Government officials regularly engage with UK counterparts on CCUS policy; I have also engaged directly with UK Government Ministers on this subject. The UK Government have confirmed they are carrying out a suite of CCUS work packages and developing related policies throughout 2021, which includes creating a Supply Chain Plan, scheduled to commence in Quarter 2. The Scottish Government will continue to highlight the importance of a CCUS supply chain in Scotland as the work progresses.
It is essential we identify opportunities for a just transition for our skilled oil and gas supply chain in line with the new opportunities in a zero-carbon world. The Scottish Government are also undertaking work on the development of a CCUS supply chain in Scotland; we commissioned an Economic Impact Assessment, along with Scottish Enterprise, in October 2020 to examine the specific economic and market development opportunities presented from the development and deployment of CCUS.
The study includes a specific work package to identify the skills base and capabilities required for the development of a CCUS supply chain in Scotland, and a database of existing organisations in Scotland with the ability to deliver this. The study undertaken by Element Energy and Vivid Economics will complete in summer 2021 and will provide a springboard to identify areas of support and development for the supply chain.