The UK Labour government is facing calls to secure the future of a key North Sea innovation hub based in Aberdeen.
The Net Zero Technology Centre was created in 2017 to support the North Sea energy industry and accelerate the transition to net zero.
It formed part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal and was backed with £180 million of UK and Scottish government funding – which ends in March 2027.
North-east MPs Andrew Bowie and Stephen Flynn want the Treasury to commit beyond that date.
In a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves they said it has a “key role in ensuring not only a just transition but a transition with hope and opportunity for the current workforce”.
‘Betrayal’
Mr Bowie told the P&J the NZTC has added years on to the viability of tens of thousands of jobs in the north-east.
“Labour are consistently saying Aberdeen and the north-east are vital to the future of energy.
“To pull support in 2027 for NZTC will be a dereliction of duty for government. A betrayal.”
The centre has contributed £10 billion of GVA and £220m of match funding.
This has commercialised 59 new technologies and accelerated 117 new start-ups.
The Labour government has faced a renewed backlash in recent weeks over its windfall tax on oil and gas firms.
Harbour Energy recently announced 250 Aberdeen job cuts, blaming the Energy Profits Levy, which the UK Government last year increased and extended to 2030.
It has led to calls for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to urgently visit the city to hear about the “damaging impact” of his government’s policies.
‘Reviewing’ business case
A response by climate minister Kerry McCarthy said the UK and Scottish governments are “actively reviewing” the centre’s latest business case.
Her letter says the government is considering how best to support net zero research and innovation in “a way that maximises impact and delivers value for public investment”.
“A decision on the government’s potential future involvement with NZTC will be made in due course”, she added.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said it “hugely appreciates” the work the centre has undertaken since opening in 2017.
She added: “We continue to support this work as part of our ongoing £90m commitment to NZTC through the Aberdeen City Region Deal.
“We are reviewing the latest business case information that has recently been provided alongside the UK Government.”
A UK Government spokeswoman said: “Scotland is at the heart of our clean energy mission.
“Just this week, we announced we will establish an Energy Campus in Aberdeen, building local skills and developing government policy closer to the communities it affects.
“We are backing net zero research and innovation in Scotland and across the UK.”
The Net Zero Technology Centre was approached for comment.
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