ABERDEEN and Peterhead have lost out in their bid to secure green freeport status, according to reports this morning.
Cromarty Firth will be one of two sites to gain job-creating freeport status tax powers in a joint announcement by the UK and Scottish governments today. It means the joint bid from Aberdeen and Peterhead is expected to fail when the formal announcement is made.
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The second award in Scotland is expected to go to Forth Ports, which takes in Rosyth, Burntisland, Grangemouth, Leith and Edinburgh airport.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will hold face-to-face talks with Nicola Sturgeon in his first visit to Scotland as PM this afternoon.
Mr Sunak will announce the locations of two new “green” freeports, as he seeks to underscore the benefit that the UK brings to Scots.
The snub for the North-east comes just 24-hours after the Scottish Government announced its plans for a presumption against future oil and gas exploration – and just months after the UK Government slapped a 75% profits tax on North Sea operators.
Ryan Crighton, Policy Director at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “How much more can our two governments shaft the North-east of Scotland?
“Just 24-hours after the Scottish Government told the world it doesn’t want any more oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, it appears that they are also turning their backs on ambitions to make our region a global green energy capital.
“And as the UK Government squeezes the energy sector dry with a windfall tax, it has also chosen to snub the region which has unlocked over £350billion of tax revenues from the North Sea.
“The case for a North East Scotland Green Freeport was clear; we have the skills, expertise and infrastructure – and with the tax and other levers of a freeport this region could accelerate the energy transition.
“Instead, both governments have placed our once unshakable status as a global energy capital under threat with a series of awful policy decisions.
“Both governments must now work together to bring forward an additional green freeport, deliver the Acorn carbon capture project in Peterhead and seriously reconsider their mistakes on oil and gas taxation and policy.
“If they allow the prize of becoming a global green energy hub slip away from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, they will never be forgiven for this catalogue of betrayals.”
What are freeports?
A freeport is a large zoned area within a defined boundary extending around 28 miles which includes rail, sea or airport.
Operators and businesses in the zone can benefit from a package of tax and other incentives, with supporters saying they fuel economic growth.
The concept has attracted support from across the political spectrum, aside from Greens.
The winning regions will land a share of £52million in fundings, tax and customs allowances and other investment incentives.
Five bids were lodged by groups in Orkney, Aberdeen and Peterhead, Inverness and Cromarty, Forth, and Clyde.
