The Energy White Paper announced that a competition would be launched in November 2007 to develop the UK's first commercial scale demonstration of carbon capture and storage technologies on a power generation facility. This will contribute to the UK's emission reduction targets while also demonstrating the technology to an international audience in support of the Government's wider climate change objectives.
Since publication of the Energy White Paper BP has announced its withdrawal from the Peterhead project. We are aware that several other companies remain interested in participating in the competition and we are keen to see other projects come forward as the competition develops.
The decision on planning consent for a particular case is a matter for the relevant competent authority, and in the case of Peterhead that is Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. I understand they gave approval to the proposal on 14 June this year.