Lib Dems question SNP commitment to emissions targets

12.26.44pm GMT Wed 23rd Dec 2009

Former Liberal Democrat Environment Minister Ross Finnie MSP is demanding urgent clarification about the Scottish Government’s policy on clean coal technology and its place in meeting the emissions target.

Last week the Energy Minister brushed off Mr Finnie’s concerns about the level of emissions that would be produced by a new coal fired power station at Hunterston if full carbon capture technology is not in place right from the beginning.

Mr Finnie has written to the Enterprise Minister challenging him to explain how he can dismiss the levels of CO2 emissions and how the Minister thinks SEPA would be able to control such emissions.

Commenting, Mr Finnie said:

“The Energy Minister simply brushed aside real fears about the scale of emissions from a Hunterston power station that didn’t have carbon capture technology in place from the word go.

“The company which hopes to run Hunterston estimates that it will create 8.43 million tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions per annum, potentially up until 2025, when carbon capture technology would be fitted. We need to know on what basis the Energy Minister is dismissing these stark figures. How does this square with the CO2 emissions targets in the Climate change Act?

“Perhaps to divert attention away from the SNP’s lack of commitment to carbon capture, the Minister was keen to talk about SEPA’s role in regulating emissions. This is all well and good, but currently SEPA don’t monitor carbon dioxide, so the Minister needs to explain how this will work.”