John Swinney has vowed to pressure the UK Government to green-light the north-east’s Acorn carbon capture project early to help offset the damage of closing the Grangemouth refinery.
The first minister said senior figures in the previous Conservative government promised him this would be done but approval is still not confirmed.
Petroineos announced on Thursday it will close the refinery in the second quarter of next year – putting 400 jobs on the site at risk.
Union leaders had hoped the facility would remain open longer to provide time for a green alternative.
‘Deeply let down’
Speaking during a visit to Perth on Saturday, Mr Swinney said he had asked the firm to reconsider and held talks with workers and unions.
The SNP leader believes early authorisation of the Acorn Project in St Fergus in Aberdeenshire would be a “significant boost” to efforts to find new opportunities at the Grangemouth site.
But he said he has been left feeling “deeply let down” over broken promises.
“There has only been around a nine-month period to try to develop alternative propositions,” Mr Swinney said.
“There are things that can be done in the short term.
“I set out at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday the opportunity of the Acorn Project, which is a really significant opportunity for Grangemouth, Scotland and the UK – but it needs the UK Government’s approval.
“I was promised by Michael Gove that this would get approval in the past and it never happened.”
How does Acorn project work?
The Acorn Project would see harmful greenhouse gas emissions piped under the North Sea and then stored.
The previous UK Government committed to backing the project and the Scottish Government announced £2 million of funding in July.
‘It’s not over yet,’ says Salmond
Former first minister Alex Salmond was asked during a pro-independence event in Glasgow on Saturday what needs to be done to save the refinery.
He said: “It’s political will. I saved Grangemouth twice with Gordan Brown in 2008 and 2013 and just needed to say to the companies involved that closure is not acceptable.
“Why should Scotland be the only one in 25 oil producing countries without a refinery?
The UK Government was asked to respond to concerns but instead re-issued a general statement from Thursday.
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