44 groups lodge protest over 'disastrous' Peterhead gas power station plan

The letter signatories which include Oxfam Scotland, Fuel Poverty Action, Friends of the Earth Scotland say that if the project is approved, it will lock households into reliance on more expensive fossil fuels for energy for the next 25 years with the consumer paying the price.

They are already concerned that SSE's current 1190MW gas power station at Peterhead, one of Europe's biggest gas terminals, has been Scotland's biggest polluter for the last five years.

The Herald can reveal that Scotland's environmental regulator has itself raised its own misgivings saying that the overall climate impact of the proposed development is "unclear", and it has the potential to generate emissions which may be "insignificant now but may be incompatible with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets in 2045".

It has said development would be in line with net zero emissions ambitions if the developer set out how residual CO2 emissions would abated by 2045.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has told ministers that without suitable conditions as part of any consent being considered by Scottish ministers, both Peterhead plants could be operating without carbon capture and storage infrastructure which would "risk attainment of emissions reduction targets".

In 2021, protesters blocked the entrance to SSE Peterhead in a demonstration against 'the most polluting power station in Scotland'.

SSE has insisted that the new plant will provide "vital low-carbon flexible backup to renewables".

But the new power station was expected to run well into the 2050s - beyond the Scottish Government’s target date for net zero of 2045.

Fuel Poverty Action said that gas was currently priced five times higher than renewable energy and contributes to global warming, putting many lives at risk.

And the campaigners say that a new fossil fuel power station will tie people to the same volatile global gas markets for decades to come, making the climate and cost of living crisis worse.

The Scottish Government is under huge pressure to increase climate action after announcing it would scrap its climate targets and the groups say the development would lock in higher fossil fuel emissions, from what is already Scotland’s biggest polluter for decades to come.

Perth based energy firm SSE and Norwegian state-owned oil and gas producer Equinor have submitted a planning application to build a new gas burning power station at Peterhead, in addition to the existing gas plant.

Ministers had been committed to cut greenhouse gases by 75% by 2030.

But the nation has missed eight of its annual climate targets, making the legal obligation for the 2030 goal unachievable.

Ministers have insisted the long-term target to reach net zero by 2045 remains.

The letter sent to First Minister John Swinney, net zero and energy secretary Màiri McAllan and climate action minister Gillian Martin, which was also signed by the respected think tank Common Weal, Greenpeace UK and the Public and Commercial Services Union urges them to "wholly reject" the plan and implement "real and meaningful just transition that can address inequality and the climate crisis".

It  told them that "at this critical juncture" the Scottish Government "must  must do everything possible to get back on track" to meet climate targets. 

"This is a moment to redouble efforts, not support a project that will lock in higher fossil fuel emissions for decades to come," they wrote.

"Fossil fuels are driving the cost-of-living crisis, and our current energy system is dominated by exploitative fossil fuel companies who are benefitting from ordinary people's hardship.

"Over 30% of Scottish households are living in fuel poverty, having to choose between heating and eating, and that number is growing. Meanwhile, companies like Equinor and SSE who are behind this project are posting record profits.

"Instead of extracting and burning new gas to generate electricity, the Scottish Government must build on this success and continue to swiftly scale up renewable energy, including renewable energy storage technologies.

"The construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure would undermine the shift to renewables, strengthen the grip of fossil fuel companies on Scottish households and put us at greater danger of climate breakdown. The Scottish Government has full power over this decision and must set us on the correct path to a fossil free future."

Friends of the Earth research has found that the fossil fuel industry met with MSPs more than once a working day in the two years since the 2021 election, including at receptions, on foreign trips and even inside UN climate conferences.

Some 790 meetings between MSPs and fossil fuel companies or their trade bodies since 2018 were uncovered in the study, the largest of its kind.

Some 309 were with Scottish Government ministers and 481 were with opposition and backbench MSPs. The research reviewed six years of data from Scottish Government ministerial diaries, the Scottish Parliament Lobbying Register and other sources.

Now there are concerns that the Aberdeenshire gas burning power station plan would also lock Scottish households into paying energy prices which are set by international gas markets and are thus prone to external shocks such as the war in Ukraine.

The signatories also warn ministers about reliance on carbon capture. They say workers “should not be strung along with empty promises of jobs in fairytale carbon capture” and pointing out of the environmental and ethical risks of trying to store carbon under the North Sea in perpetuity.

Equinor, which provided around 27% of the UK’s gas demand in 2022 has received consent from the North Sea Transition Authority for the development of the Rosebank oil field, which is 80 miles to the west of Shetland and the largest undeveloped oil field in UK waters. The field discovered in 2004, has been estimated to hold around 300 million barrels of oil equivalent with a planned start up date of 2026/27.

Friends of the Earth Scotland climate campaigner Alex Lee said: “Organisations from across Scottish society are calling on ministers to reject this disastrous development which will only further enrich greedy energy companies at a huge cost to Scottish households and the climate. New fossil fuel burning will critically undermine the energy transition and make it even harder for the Scottish Government to meet its climate commitments.

Climate activists staged a protest at the Perth headquarters of SSE earlier this month, as the company announced £2.4 billion in profits for 2023/24 financial year.

“Instead of building an energy system on the rotten foundations of carbon capture, we should be ploughing our time and resources into expanding a renewable energy system that is affordable, reliable and run in the public interest.”

SSE and Equinor describe it as a low-carbon power station. They say it could become one of the UK’s first power stations equipped with carbon capture technology.

The plan is for a new 900MW gas-fired power station fitted with carbon capture technology to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from its emissions which come online by 2026. It would run alongside the exisiting 1180MW plant.

They say that by capturing up to 1.5 million tonnes (MT) of CO2 each year, the new station alone would achieve 15% of the UK Government’s target to capture 10MT of CO2 annually by 2030.

Lucia Harrington, organising lead for Fuel Poverty Action commented, “Fuel Poverty Action opposes SSE and Equinor’s plans to build a new gas-burning power station in Peterhead. Expanding the fossil fuel industry will do nothing to help people with energy bills, but instead this new power station would lock households into relying on expensive gas for decades.

"Whilst they (SSE) made millions in profits, around 1000 people in Scotland alone died due to cold homes during the winter of 2022-2023.

The Scottish Greens have said that the SNP’s rolling back on environmental commitments shows it "cannot be trusted" with climate and nature.

They say Ms McAllan’s lack of certainty over the introduction of the environment bill, climate bill, heating in buildings legislation and environmental rights during yesterday's Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee will have “set off alarm bells” for campaigners.

The environment bill is set to introduce binding targets for nature recovery and was a key commitment under the p Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens alongside the work on Heat in Buildings.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is fully committed to a just transition to a climate resilient and net zero Scotland by 2045. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on a live planning application.

“A decision will be taken by ministers in due course, following consideration of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.”

A spokesperson for SSE Thermal said: “Credible organisations such as the Climate Change Committee are clear that carbon capture technology will be essential to decarbonising the power system on the way to net zero. As Scotland’s only large-scale flexible power station, decarbonising Peterhead is of the significant importance which is why we continue to progress plans for the new Peterhead Carbon Capture Power Station, which would provide vital low-carbon flexible backup to renewables.

“The new plant will ultimately replace the existing station and in doing so will deliver huge emissions reductions. We are also exploring how to neutralise residual emissions through negative emissions technologies, recognising the importance of this to reaching net zero.

“Once operational, Peterhead Carbon Capture Power Station will help to keep the lights on, facilitate the transition to net zero and create good jobs in the region.”