SNP urged not to approve ‘reckless’ gas plants
SNP ministers have been urged not to follow Westminster into backing new gas power stations to avert what the UK government claimed was the “genuine prospect of blackouts”.
In a speech at Chatham House, UK energy secretary Claire Coutinho outlined the apparent need for unabated gas power in the electricity system beyond 2030, which the UK government said would still mean Britain was on track to meet targets to cut emissions to zero overall by 2050.
R is hi sun ak said theuk needed to meet its goals to cut emissions by nearly four-fifth s by 2035, on the way to the 2050 goal, in a “sustainable way that doesn’t leave people without energy on a cloudy, windless day”.
But Labour accused the Tories of leaving Britain facing another ten years of high energy bills and energy security, while think-tank the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said falling North Sea output would leave the UK more dependent on foreign gas.
The plans to boost gas power capacity include broadening rules for new plants to be netzero ready and able to convert to lower-carbon alternatives, such as being fuelled by hydrogen or using carbon capture technology to catch and store emissions.
The UK government also said new gas plants would run less frequently as other low-carbon technologies are rolled out.
The move is needed as electricity powers a growing share of the economy, with more electric carson the road and an increase in heat pumps, with flexible power generation as a back-up to renewables, officials said.
But climate campaigners have warned the Scottish Government not to follow suit and “go down a dangerous path” as ministers are set to publish their delayed final energy policy by the summer.
The Scottish Government is considering approving a proposal from energy giants SSE and Equinor to build an additional gas burning power station at Peterhead. The existing Aberdeenshire site is already Scotland's biggest climate polluter and the proposals would see fossil fuels burned for electricity well past 2045.
Theuk climate change committee–independent advisors to the Scottish and UK governments – have made it clear that new fossil fuels will do nothing to lower bills.
Friends of the Earth Scotland climate campaigner Alex Lee said: “This is another clear example of oil and gas companies writing UK government energy policy. Fossil fuels must not be part of Scotland’s energy future – with or without the empty promises of carbon capture.
“The UK government is simply parroting the fossil fuel industry when it talks about energy security because it is in these companies’ interests to continue business as usual for as long as possible to keep raking in record breaking profits.”
They added: “The Scottish Government is considering following the UK government down this dangerous path by approving a new gas burning power station at Peterhead. Such a reckless decision would undermine the transition to renewable st hat ministers have claimed they support.”
Fossil fuels must not be part of Scotland’s energy future