Scottish campaigners are pushing back against SNP calls to channel oil and gas revenues into the Acorn carbon capture project in Aberdeenshire. Friends of the Earth Scotland says the technology has failed at scale and the project has not captured any carbon yet. The lead developer Storegga is trying to sell its stake, and the UK Government has converted most of a £200m grant into loans and equity. The debate highlights the tension between supporting carbon capture as an industrial decarbonization tool and the risk of public money going to unproven projects. Proponents point to successful storage in Norway since 1996, but critics argue the focus should be on insulation and public transport instead. The UK Government defends its equity approach as protecting taxpayer returns. For those following carbon markets and climate policy, this is a key test of how governments fund large-scale CCS. The outcome will shape whether future projects get grants or performance-based investment.
