With a ready made pipeline network that, for the most part, is already in place, Scotland has a clear advantage to help progress net zero carbon technology projects.
Extensive studies have shown that the sub-sea pipelines that leads directly to the storage sites can be easily and cost-effectively repurposed. In effect, the pipes that were once used to bring North Sea gas ashore will be used again to transport waste CO2 offshore.
We have multiple onshore pipelines and terminals that connect the north east of Scotland to its industrial central belt and allows some of this infrastructure to be used for clean hydrogen and CO2 transport while the rest is used for natural gas as we migrate away from fossil fuels.
Scotland is home to a number of deepwater ports. These will be key to transporting hydrogen and CO2 more widely, enabling decarbonisation across the UK.
Using infrastructure that is already in place also makes good environmental sense too. Using a repurposed network will be considerably less carbon intensive than building from new.