Carbon Capture and
Storage
(Putney) (Lab)
2. What recent steps he has taken with the Secretary of State for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to support carbon
capture and storage in Scotland. (900698)
The Minister for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change ()
The Government recognise the importance of Scotland in achieving
our goals on carbon capture utlilisation and storage. We have
supported Scottish CCUS projects through the industrial
decarbon-isation challenge fund, and regularly meet project
developers and stakeholders.
I am glad to hear about those regular meetings. During COP26 in
Glasgow, both the UK and the Scottish Governments rightly spoke
of the importance of doing everything we can at home to reduce
our emissions. Yesterday, re-announced her plans for
an independence referendum, so action on the environment, the
cost of living crisis, kickstarting the economy and upgrading the
health service have taken a back seat to greater constitutional
division. Has the Department estimated what impact a divisive
referendum would have on investment in carbon capture and storage
in Scotland?
I thank the hon. Member for her question and I agree with her
sentiments. We are engaging continuously on CCUS with the Acorn
cluster and other possibilities. I agree with her on the impact
that the SNP would have on energy policy. The SNP is anti-nuclear
and anti-oil and gas. It is hard to see where it thinks it is
going to get its energy from in the event of independence;
perhaps it has some idea of a future deal with Vladimir
Putin.
(Redcar) (Con)
Carbon capture and storage is critical for the production of blue
hydrogen and, therefore, in helping us to reach the Government’s
2030 hydrogen target. What opportunities does the Minister see
for the potential of the hydrogen economy in Scotland, Teesside
and the rest of the UK?
I thank my hon. Friend, the chair of the all-party group on
hydrogen, for his continuing support for hydrogen-related and
CCUS-related projects. We see that as offering opportunities for
the whole of the UK. Teesside will play a big part in it, as will
Scotland and other parts of England and Wales. We see it as a big
whole of the UK effort, crucial to levelling up and to the Union.
