Scotland took a step closer to its net zero carbon goals today with the announcement of over £30m of UK Government funding for a suite of initiatives linked to the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.

In June 2020 Petrofac was selected to provide ongoing Engineering and Project Management Office support for the Acorn project. Under Scotland’s Net Zero infrastructure (SNZI) programme announced today, Petrofac will drive the offshore pipeline and subsea activities to develop the Acorn CCS project.

The SNZI programme is an industry match funded initiative which brings together academic and industrial partners to develop a major package of work designed to progress a national low carbon infrastructure. They include:

  - The detailed engineering required to move the Acorn CCS and Hydrogen projects to a final investment decision
  - Developing a new CCS-equipped power station at Peterhead which would become an early customer for the Acorn infrastructure
  - An assessment of the potential to re-use onshore pipelines to transport CO2 from the central belt of Scotland to the Acorn Project
  - An engineering design programme for a carbon capture system on a gas-fired power station in Grangemouth
  - Development of a “fabrication yard ready” design of a new class of ship which can service the needs of coastal CO2 emitters around the UK for delivery at Peterhead port

This important programme of new work and infrastructure reuse will provide a significant boost to the region’s fast-growing low carbon credentials, paving the way for onshore and offshore developments totalling in excess of £3 billion. It will also map out the longer-term economic impacts, job preservation and creation opportunities as Scotland transitions away from oil and gas to low carbon fuels like hydrogen and CO2 removal technologies such as CCS.

Commenting, Petrofac’s Chief Corporate Development Officer and Chief Operating Officer of its Engineering and Production Services business, John Pearson, said:

"Scotland has a fantastic opportunity to repurpose existing infrastructure to enable industrial decarbonisation. Not only does this approach shorten delivery timescales and reduce project delivery risk, but it creates a long-term business model that will support investment and Scottish jobs. Petrofac is exceptionally proud to play its part in supporting Pale Blue Dot’s landmark project alongside an impressive team of academic and industrial experts."

The SNZI programme compliments work that is already underway on Scotland’s Net Zero Roadmap project. This funding will help enable the Acorn Project to be operational in the mid-2020s – a critical timeline to meet the UK’s ambitious net zero targets.

About Petrofac

Petrofac is a leading international service provider to the oil and gas production and processing industry, with a diverse client portfolio including many of the world’s leading integrated, independent and national oil and gas companies. Petrofac is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: PFC).

Petrofac designs and builds oil and gas facilities; operates, maintains and manages facilities and trains personnel; enhances production; and, where it can leverage its service capability, develops and co-invests in upstream and infrastructure projects. Petrofac’s range of services meets its clients’ needs across the full life cycle of oil and gas assets.

With around 11,500 employees, Petrofac operates out of seven strategically located operational centres, in Aberdeen, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Woking, Chennai, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur and has a further 24 offices worldwide.